BloodSweatTears
by thomthom830
Summary: Gotham had never been a kind city. She wasn't sure why she had come back. And now she was cursing the city for taking one more thing away from her, just when she had come to start to trust it again. A/N: My first Dark Knight fic. Please read and review. Let me know what you think. Warning...chapter 6 is rated M.
1. A Beginning Always Follows an End

.Tears.

Chapter 1: A Beginning Always Follows an End

All of Gotham City had felt it. In fact, most of Gotham had seen it. The explosion. The giant mushroom cloud that was supposed to mean freedom and safety, but all she felt, since she had let herself feel something, was a crippling sadness. Her chest felt tight and her stomach knotted as the cheer erupted from the city around her. She wanted to vomit and they all wanted to celebrate. Didn't they understand what just happened?

But she didn't have time to curse the idiot Gothamites or contemplate it any further. She had done what she owed him and she needed to get the hell out of Gotham before she got elected the next hero.

She allowed herself to laugh at that notion. She could never be a hero. There was nothing in it for her. After all, what did he get? He got to go die for the city that only a few weeks ago was still calling him a murderer and a criminal. Only a couple days ago, they were still hunting him down.

She shook herself and climbed onto the only thing she had to remember him by. She started up the Batpod, smiling to herself at the machine's name. Batpod. It wasn't just a motorcycle. Just like Batman wasn't just a random person in a mask. She knew he was so much more than a crazy man running around in a costume. It took a special kind of person to sacrifice so much for a city that simultaneously hated your presence and absence all in one breath. A special person to defend the city that took everything from him, including his family.

She'd been disgusted with Gotham City for most of her life anyway, so what she was feeling currently was terribly familiar. She made a turn down an alley on the motorcycle; she didn't want to be seen. Life was difficult as it was for cat burglar, and now it was daylight and cops were everywhere. She needed to get to a computer. There was the business of the _Clean Slate_ that she needed to get to.

Her apartment felt like a thousand miles from where she was as she sped through the back alleyways and dark corners of Gotham. She didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, but Gotham wasn't the best of cities anyway.

She pulled up behind her building, or rather, what was left of her building. People had been looting and pillaging since the prison had been opened up and she silently hoped what she needed was still safely tucked away in her room.

Despite the fact that the Gotham police had been freed from the tunnels, she didn't want to leave the Batpod out for everyone to look at. But where could she hide it? It was too massive to just throw a blanket over. She decided to pull it into the lobby of her walk-up. This building would be scheduled for demolition in a couple of months anyway.

Her heels clicked and echoed as she walked on the razor sharp heels of her boots. Climbing the four flights effortlessly she reached her apartment door and realizing that she had no key to enter. Good thing she was used to breaking and entering. Seconds later she was standing in the small apartment's kitchen, searching for something, anything to quench the ferocious thirst that she immediately felt.

Holly was gone as she pulled off her mask. She probably would never see her blond friend again. That idea saddened her, but it wasn't anything compared to the other loss. She couldn't wallow though. She had things to get to.

She made her way to the back corner of her room and didn't seem to notice that something was off. She found the hidden computer from under a trapdoor and began to boot it up as she walked back to the sitting room.

She screamed when she walked back in.

"Selina," a gruff voice breathed. He was holding his ribcage and he was as bruised and broken-looking as she could ever imagine. She wanted to reach out and kiss him. Hold him. Comfort him. And punch him, just to make sure he was real. But she didn't get the chance, he fell out of his seated position. Exhaustion had won over.

A/N: okay, this is my first Dark Knight fic, so please let me know what you think. I don't generally write chapters this short, so expect more next time. I just wanted to get a taste of this out before work.

Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

.Tears.

Chapter 2:

Selina rushed to the man in all black who had just collapsed to the floor, dropping her computer in the process. That didn't matter now. She wasn't sure what she was going to do to help him, but she knew she had to try. She first pushed the remnants of his mask off his face so he could get oxygen in through his nose, taking seaweed and mud with it as the mask fell to the floor.

There was a deep purple color spreading across his the left side of his face and his upper lip was bloodied and swollen. His forehead was slick and shiny with sweat; it was clear that he was struggling.

"Don't you dare _die_ on me _again_, Bruce Wayne!" she hissed through clenched teeth as she tried to decide what her next move was going to be. She needed to get him out of his thick suit, but she didn't have a clue how that was going to happen. It wasn't thin like her suit, and that posed a problem.

"Bruce!" she tried. Maybe he would just wake up and all the problems would go away. She needed him to make some kind of movement. Anything to give her an inkling of him still being alive.

His eyes fluttered in his unconscious state when she said his name. She sighed in relief, but she didn't know how long it was going to last. Selina continued to scan the suit for any indication for an opening: a zipper, a tear, anything at this point. She had missed it when she first looked at him, but then she saw a wound, seeping blood from the bottom of his ribcage.

Carefully she started to try to rip the Caped Crusader's suit. She could care less about the suit itself, but the still-bleeding wound had her concerned. When did this happen? It looked like he'd been stabbed or maybe it was a bit of shrapnel from the explosion.

The suit wasn't going to budge though, at least, not without a little help. She rushed to her kitchen, still in her boots and neoprene suit. Selina was sweating now, out of anxiousness rather than heat. She returned to the man on the floor and started cutting away with her kitchen shears. They were the sharpest thing in the apartment; she hoped they were going to work.

"Shit," Selina hissed as the shears slipped and sunk into her own finger. It had cut right through her own glove and a telltale tear slipped down her cheek and fell on the Kevlar suit.

She swiped it away with a quick flick of her gloved hand; Selina didn't have time for this. She started cutting away again, trying to find a weak point in the man's armor. There had to be seams between the armored plates. Finding what she needed after another search, the armor started to split in her hands, revealing the bruised and scarred body of Bruce Wayne.

As the heavy material was pulled from his body, his chest started to rise and fall more evenly; it didn't seem like it was such a struggle to breathe any more. Selina hurriedly pulled off her gloves and felt for a pulse on Bruce's neck, fingers searching for the proper place and trying to keep her own self-inflicted wound away from his body. She silently chided herself for not taking that CPR class in her spare time.

Selina pushed down on his bare chest, thinking that's what he needed. But slowly, painfully slowly, his arm reached up and stopped her.

"You're going to crack more of my ribs," he said, slowly and quietly finding his voice. It was hoarse, presumably from the amount of water he'd taken in when he'd exited the Bat over the bay combined with the recent re-introduction of air into his lungs.

Selina smacked him lightly on the shoulder and moved away from him. She wasn't sure if she was happy or terribly angry that he wasn't actually dead.

"I'm an injured man, here," he said quietly, trying to sit up.

Selina sighed and rolled her eyes at the man who was now smirking slightly from his position on the floor.

"You probably shouldn't be moving," she said, kneeling back down at his side. She tried to coax him into lying back down, but he was fighting her with what little strength he had left.

"I-I'm okay," he breathed, obviously in pain as he fought her surprisingly strong hands on his shoulders.

"Come on, Wayne," Selina said. "You need to rest. You _died_ twice today," she said, her voice catching. She choked back the emotion that she didn't want or need Bruce Wayne, Prince of Gotham, _the Dark Knight_, to see or hear. "You've hit your quota for deaths; lay back down."

Bruce Wayne, stripped of his cowl and the top portion of his suit, looked up into the eyes of the woman tending to him. When he'd turned the Bat onto auto pilot, he knew if he'd survived the drop and the explosion, Bruce would have to find Selina.

Despite the fact that she'd repeatedly stolen from him and bankrupted him, and even turned him over to Bane to boot, he was never able to get the dark-haired woman out of his mind.

"Earth to Bruce Wayne," Selina sing-songed. His name rolled off her tongue easily. Bruce might have been delirious, but he thought she might have actually been happy that he was there. "We should probably get you cleaned up."

"How are you at sewing?" he asked her, looking down to the

Selina said nothing. She retreated from the room and Bruce could hear her rummaging in another room; presumably searching for something.

Bruce put his head back down on the floor. The apartment seemed to have been safe from the looting that had befallen most of Gotham. There was a print on the wall, an Impressionistic work he recognized both as a famous work _and_ because it used to be hanging in the Gotham Museum of Art. Glancing further around the room, he could see the evidence that this woman was a real person.

Signs of life well-lived, or at least, well-stolen, were all around him. There was no television set, only bookshelves lining the walls. There had to be hundreds of books.

Selina had rushed to the back of the apartment, to the bathroom. She started throwing things out of the cabinets. They didn't _ever_ throw anything out; it had to still be here. She upended a stack of towels out of the cabinet and then she found it. A suture kit; stolen by accident from a nurse. Holly, her only friend, was young and had a knack for stealing from, well, everyone.

They'd kept the kit; you never knew when you'd need to stitch someone up. And it looked like her time had come.

She hoped it came with directions.

Selina hurried back to Bruce's prone figure and kneeled down next to him with the suture kit. She dusted the top of it off and opened it up.

"You just _happen_ to have that lying around?" Bruce half-coughed, half-laughed.

"A man in your position shouldn't question such things," Selina replied. "Um, do you know how I should…" she trailed off, looking at the various tools and things.

"Honestly," Bruce began. "It doesn't matter, 'Lina," he breathed, his chest rising and falling deeply as he spoke. "It just needs to quit bleeding."

Selina's hands were shaking as she was started to stitch Bruce up. He only winced in pain a couple of times as she put the needle into his skin.

"This is going to look terrible once it heals," Selina said as she finished the stitch job and cut the suture string.

"I'm really not so concerned about that right now," Bruce replied, beginning to sit himself up, struggling only a little.

Selina moved the suture kit away and rocked back on her sharp heels. She was resisting the incredible urge to kiss the man before her. But before she could move any further, Bruce had his gloved hand at the back of her head, drawing her closer. He brought his lips to hers, but Selina pulled away.

She stood quickly and turned away from Bruce, who was still seated on the floor.

"Gotham will want its Batman back," Selina said coldly.

"Selina," Bruce barely whispered.

She turned around to look at his face, but saw that his eyes were half-closed in exhaustion.

Selina rushed back to him and he leaned into her, his clammy forehead on her neck. There was no way that he was going to be able to go anywhere or do anything. But was it safe to stay here?

"Bruce, we can't stay here," she said into his wet hair. "It isn't safe and I don't have any way to get you checked out."

He opened his eyes. "I know a place," he said.

A/N: Okay, a little slow to begin with, but I'm hoping you all stick with me! I can't believe the response for the first chapter! Thank you all who have read and a bigger thank you to those that reviewed.


	3. Chapter 3

.Tears.

Chapter 3

"_Make sure you pack anything you might need; we won't be able to come back here," he'd said._

Those words kept repeating themselves in her head as she searched for a bag to throw a few things in. She had tons of bags; where were they all? She only needed a couple things to hold her until she was out of Gotham. Selina promised herself that she wasn't ever going to get sentimental about…_things…_ Things could always be replaced.

She'd spent most of her life without this stuff anyway.

Selina hastily threw a couple articles of clothing into the first large bag she found and now needed to find her wallet. She couldn't deny that she was a little excited that she could use her identification as Selina Kyle without having to worry about the repercussions of her lifestyle. But she certainly needed her wallet; she had a certain fondness, definitely not sentimentality, for the soft Prada leather. She'd had it for almost ten years now; it was her first purchase once she'd found a permanent roof to sleep under. And it was from Paris, to boot.

"Selina," Bruce's voice called from the front room. "We have to go. The sirens are getting closer; if we don't move quickly, it won't be as easy to get around."

"I have news for you, Wayne. It's not going to be easy anyway."

"Well, it won't be _as_ difficult if we wait another ten minutes," he replied from the other room.

Selina followed the sound of his voice back into the living room of her apartment. Something about his voice was, his normal, Bruce Wayne voice, was calming in the midst of everything going on. It was more than likely the last time she would ever be standing in this particular space. She took one last look around it; aside from her family home when she was a child, this was the only place she'd lived this long. She shook herself; she promised she wasn't going to be sentimental about anything.

"What's the matter?" Bruce asked once she'd entered the room. Her face was pale and her eyes glassy. It was the exact opposite of not being sentimental.

"I'm fine," she replied coolly. In an instant, her features changed as her resolve hardened once more. "Are you sure you're okay to move?"

Bruce Wayne, usually distinguished-looking, was leaning against the back of the couch. It was interesting that he'd asked her what was wrong, when clearly he wasn't doing so amazing. However, he'd changed back into the clothes she'd seen him in much earlier in the day.

"I'm okay. We need to go," he said, straightening up the best he could and attempting a smile. "We can't stay here."

"You need to sleep," Selina replied. She put a hand to his head. "You're burning up; I think you might have a fever. And where did you keep these clothes?" she asked, referring to the leather jacket he now had on.

"Trade secret," he replied. "Can we just go? Do you have everything you need?"

"Where's the clean slate?" Selina said, searching for her computer that she had dropped what seemed like an eternity ago.

Bruce pulled a flash drive from his pants pocket and showed her. "I grabbed it off your computer already." He hoisted the backpack on his shoulders up again, shifting its weight.

"You aren't screwing with me, Wayne, are you?" she asked, eyeing him cautiously.

"Do you really think I'm in any state to mess with your mind?" he asked tiredly. He was growing impatient as the seconds ticked away.

Selina considered the thought for a moment and decided to listen to him. "I'm ready to go. The cycle is downstairs," she replied.

He nodded silently, but didn't say anything for a minute. The Batpod was going to attract unnecessary attention and at this point, he was hoping to keep eyes off of Bruce Wayne for a while. After all, he had just told Jim Gordon who he was, and if the man was still alive, there were going to continue being expectations from that. And there was going to be one more person who was about to know his secret soon, too.

"You said we needed to go?" Selina questioned. She wasn't sure where his mind was, but it wasn't on the situation at hand.

"We do," he swallowed. "You're going to have to say goodbye to the Batpod," he said.

Selina's eyebrow raised; she was trying to figure out what Bruce was talking about. He took her bag and handed her something small in return.

"It should create an effective distraction," he said as an explanation.

The dark-haired woman examined the device in her hand. Distractions were her strong suit.

She looked up at Bruce with a pout on her red lips. "Do we really have to blow it up? I liked the Batpod."

He found his own lips curving into an amused smile. She was good. "There might be another one where we're going."

Selina dropped the pout and returned his smile. "Let's move, then, Wayne. Do you think you can keep up?"

The four flights of stair were nothing for the agile young woman ahead of him. After all, she only had the explosive device in her hands and he was carrying all of the bags. And he was trying to pretend he wasn't affected by his injuries.

Bruce did his best to not limp down the stairs. Despite the knee brace that had made the last months bearable, it was screaming in pain with every step he took and his back was threatening to give out.

"Are you doing all right?" she called over her shoulder.

Bruce, stubborn as he was, gritted his teeth and replied, "I'm fine. Keep moving."

They reached the deserted lobby of the apartment building and Bruce looked at the hole in the wall that Selina had made with the Batpod.

"Thanks for taking _such_ good care of her," Bruce said sarcastically.

Selina theatrically rolled her eyes and attached the explosive device to the main gas line of the bike. "Nothing more than a few scratches. Won't be able to say that in about…" she trailed off, looking to Bruce.

"About a minute and a half, give or take," Bruce figured in his head. "This building is empty, right?" he asked, looking up at the four story building. It couldn't have more than 12 or so apartments in it, but the thought of people inside a building that was about to blow up didn't sit well with him.

"Unless there are squatters in there somewhere, no one else had really been in the apartments here," Selina said. "Especially since the occupation."

"All right," Bruce replied. "We need a car. Preferably one with dark windows."

"We don't exactly have the luxury of being picky right now, Mr. Billionaire," Selina said. "Remember, one, this is the shittiest part of Gotham, two, only the mob bosses drive around with tinted windows. And you aren't in any position to be messing with the mob bosses right now."

"That's where you come in to the plan."

Selina was still in her black cat suit as she rounded a corner. Bruce was watching from a respectable distance, just in case she couldn't handle the situation. But Bruce was pretty certain that Selina was going to be fine.

This section of town hadn't heard that Bane's reign was over. There was some kind of deal going down in broad daylight as Selina slinked up to the guys. There were three cars down the alley, all three were definitely was Selina had described to Bruce only minutes ago.

"Hiya fellas," she said, strolling up to the group of men.

There were six men total. Each had scars on their faces and hands; it had been a long few months for everyone. It didn't matter what step of the socio-economic ladder you stood on; the occupation had been rough.

Each pair of eyes surveyed the woman in the skintight suit. It wasn't a new thing to be ogled like she was being, but Selina hoped she hadn't given any of these men their scars.

"What can we do for you, lady?" one man asked. At least one of them didn't seem to mind her presence.

"Well, I'm in need of a car," she said sweetly.

Each man in turn looked at the next; a more puzzled expression as she went down the line.

"Lady, you can't just _have_ a car. But I'll let you_ earn _it," another man said.

Bruce had gotten closer and watched as Selina sidled up to a man seductively, close enough to whisper in his ear. Bruce felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Selina work.

"What can I do to earn it?" she asked, smiling at each one of them in turn.

The man at Selina's elbow whispered something back in her ear and laughed with the men in the circle. Selina looked offended momentarily, but her face changed into a mask of indifference.

Bruce didn't know exactly what was being said, but Selina pulled the one man next to her back by the hair a second later. He was screaming in pain as she pulled on the man's scalp, her nails digging into his skin.

Selina took him, despite the size difference, and slammed him into the hood of the car next to them.

"Who's next?" she asked coyly.

The remaining men rushed at her. Bruce bristled at the action, but Selina had been right. He was in no state to be any help to her, well in a fist fight.

Selina was down to two men a few minutes later. One of the fallen men had taken her serrated boot heel to the neck and face. Two other men had been smashed into the car windows and hood. Selina had broken the wrist of the fourth guy and he'd run off. It was obvious the last two guys were the real fight.

One guy had her arms pinned back behind her. It wasn't a good position to be in. Selina got one good kick to his groin before he collapsed unconscious on the ground. Selina was just as surprised as the man holding her back and she was able to turn on the guy and deliver a well-timed and well-aimed roundhouse kick that sent him tumbling into the brick wall behind them both.

Before exiting the alleyway, she inspected the man who mysteriously collapsed at her pointy boots. A telltale dart was expertly planted in the side of the man's fat neck. Bruce just couldn't hang back and let her do this.

Smiling satisfactorily, Selina exited the alley and looked for Bruce. He emerged from some unknown position a moment later.

"You couldn't just let me handle it, could you?" she asked.

"What did that guy say to you?" he asked in response.

"You don't want to know," Selina replied coolly. "Which car do you want? I don't suggest the one with the windshield smashed out of it," she said changing the subject. What the man said to her didn't faze her, but she thought it might upset the man standing next to her now.

"You pick," he replied.

Selina moved to the domestic car. She could hotwire anything, given enough time, but domestic vehicles were her specialty.

She slid into the driver's seat and started fidgeting with the wires under the steering wheel. Less than a minute later, the engine sprung to life.

"Would you like to drive? Since you know the place?" Selina asked, rising up out of the seat.

Bruce threw their respective bags into the backseat of the car and replaced her in the driver's seat. He had never been in a car like this before. But all cars were essentially the same. He waited for Selina to climb into the passenger seat and he floored the car in reverse out of the alley.

Selina flexed her sore arms. That guy could have done some serious damage if Bruce hadn't acted when he did.

"Are you going to tell me where we're heading?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Nope," Bruce said, not taking his eyes off the road.

There was silence for a beat. "I _hate_ surprises," she replied emotionlessly as she stared out the window.

A/N: Oh my goodness! Thanks so much for the response I've gotten so far. Hopefully I'm continuing on a path that you all like! I don't want to be greedy, but leave me some more love! But seriously, thank you all!


	4. Chapter 4

.Tears.

Chapter 4

The car ride to their destination was an awkwardly silent one. Neither of them knew exactly what to talk to the other one about. Depending on who you talked to, Bruce Wayne was deceased and Selina Kyle was supposed to be in Blackgate prison. They made a very interesting traveling pair.

Bruce just kept driving. While he wasn't feeling good at all, he knew they couldn't waste a millisecond. To top it all off, any time they had seen even the hint of a human being, he turned the car, changing their course. It was almost like he didn't know where he was going. But it was just to make sure there was no one on their trail; where they were going, Bruce didn't want any extra visitors.

"Where exactly are we going?" Selina asked after the longest silence. She was getting antsy and Bruce could tell. Bruce kind of enjoyed watching her squirm.

Bruce decided not to answer her and instead turned the radio on. He began to hum along to some gloriously bad 80s song as they continued to drive. The man knew he was driving her crazy and didn't care and truthfully, he was happy for a bit of the distraction. Apparently some of the Gotham radio stations were a little more optimistic in the wake of the explosion over the bay and the end of Bane's reign of terror on the city.

Selina huffed loudly at his non-response to her question and crossed her arms in her seat. Since he wasn't going to talk, neither was she. And to top it all off, she hated this song.

Bruce's silence wasn't only to annoy the woman in the passenger seat. He was honestly trying to work out the next step of his plan. Since the plan wasn't completely formed, he didn't want know what else to say to Selina.

He eyed the woman out of the corner of her eye. She was beautiful even when she was twiddling her thumbs out of boredom and confusion. It was no wonder to Bruce that she could prey on the unsuspecting men; her beauty could be disarming.

_It's only going to be ten more minutes or so,_ Bruce told himself. He wasn't going to bother starting a conversation now. However, Selina apparently couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Are we almost there?" she asked. "We've driven around almost the entire perimeter of Gotham and despite what you might think, this outfit isn't exactly designed for long-distance car trips," she said, frowning.

Bruce let a smile pass over his lips for a moment. "Yes," he replied. "We're almost there," he said in an entirely amused tone.

Selina let out another long sigh.

"Didn't go on a lot of family car trips when you were younger?" Bruce asked.

"Can't say that I did," Selina replied.

Bruce was certain he caught a note of temporary sadness in her voice as she answered him, but he knew it was not the right time to ask personal questions. Bruce hoped that there would be more time for that in the future.

Selina turned her head and watched the city disappearing behind them. They were heading north and the sun was beginning to set. The darkness would help them hide better.

"This might sound like a dumb question, but why don't you just drive into the center of town and declare yourself the mayor of Gotham?" she asked.

Bruce actually laughed out loud at the mention of that. "Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Because you just single-handedly saved—"

"_Single-handedly?"_ Bruce repeated.

Selina turned over her shoulder and gave the man a knowing look.

"You _did _help, Selina," he said.

Selina rolled her eyes.

"If you keep doing that, they might get stuck," Bruce said, attempting a bit of levity to lighten their situation.

"Listen, Wayne," she said turning in her seat to face him.

"Bruce," he said.

"Fine, listen,_ Bruce_," she said. "You should just drop me off somewhere; I'll be fine…"

"I'm not sure _I _will be," he answered quietly as they turned down a very secluded road. It was so hidden that it wasn't even really a road any more.

There was sincerity in Bruce Wayne's voice as he answered her. But he never took his eyes off of the remnants of the road in the now-dense woods.

They pulled to a stop in the middle of nowhere and Bruce shut the engine off.

Selina tried to keep her face a mask of indifference, but stopping in the middle of the woods caught her severely off-guard.

"Are we camping?" Selina asked, half-teasing, half-really wondering if it were the case.

"Grab your things," Bruce said, a bit of the Batman edge coming back. He climbed out of the stolen vehicle.

Selina followed suit and climbed out of the car and reached into the backseat to remove her bag as Bruce grabbed his own. Selina shivered reflexively as the dark and the cold seeped through her cat suit.

Bruce walked around the outside of the car. They didn't want to leave any evidence behind, so he began to wipe down the handles and surfaces.

"Are you going to check the trunk for a body?" Selina asked, completely seriously.

Bruce eyed her cautiously.

"Consider the previous owner of this _lovely _automobile."

Bruce shrugged and Selina reached in and popped the trunk from the latch inside the car and waited for a response from Bruce who was at the rear end of the vehicle.

"Clear," he replied, slamming the trunk carefully to keep his fingerprints off of it.

Bruce closed the distance between himself and Selina and looked down into her eyes. "Can you walk in those?" he asked, referring to her stiletto boots.

Selina smirked. "The ground should still be frozen enough," she said, poking at the dirt with her serrated heel.

"All right, come on," Bruce said, starting off at a quick clip despite his injuries. He just wanted to make it to their destination and collapse. He was tired and cold and possibly suffering from internal injuries. He had been trying to hide his exhaustion from his travelling companion, but it was starting to wear on him.

Selina pulled her goggles down over her eyes. She silently thanked herself for still having them on the top of her head. Night-vision was a blessing in these dark woods; they were proving to be as helpful here as they were in the city.

As they trudged through the woods, further and further into the darkness, the sound of running water was becoming clearer and louder. Where were they?

"We're behind the Wayne Botanical Gardens," Bruce said quietly, as if reading her confused thoughts.

She looked in awe at the waterfall that appeared in front of them and she stumbled on a tree root that she was too distracted to notice. Bruce caught her deftly and righted her.

"Thanks," she hissed.

Bruce was already ahead of her though. He was unearthing what looked like climbing gear in the green/black of Selina's night-vision view.

Bruce could tell she was still confused; and rightfully so. He was well-known as the eccentric billionaire of Gotham and he was proving it to Selina yet again.

"Are we going to go for a late-night climb?"

Bruce ignored her and secured his backpack on his pained shoulders.

"Hold onto me," he said. It wasn't a request.

Selina pushed her bag up on her shoulder and wrapped her lean arms around Bruce's body. He allowed himself to enjoy their closeness and how seemingly perfectly they fit together before steeling his focus in on the current task.

"This is going to be a little chilly," he said. "Ready?"

But he didn't wait for a response. He launched their bodies into the cave beyond the waterfall, completely soaking each of them in icy cold water. He landed them expertly, like he'd done it before, but they were still thigh-deep water. Selina hurried to keep her bag above the water line.

"If this is what you think is showing a girl a good time…" Selina trailed off as the ground they were standing on started to rise under their feet.

A series of computers and technology started to appear as walls began to shift. Selina could hear the telltale signs of bats above their heads as they waited for the platform to stop.

"Is this _the_ _Batcave?_" Selina asked, looking up at the bats hanging from the ceiling.

Bruce nodded. Not every name had to have a 'bat' preface on it, but it seemed to amuse Selina, so he decided not to argue. He simply threw his bag down on the ground and continued moving.

Selina followed suit and set her own luggage down next to his and continued after him. Her serrated heels clicked on the damp stone behind him as he led her under an arch on one side of the cavernous area.

"This used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad," Bruce explained.

"How long has the house been in the family?" Selina asked. Her boots were beginning to hurt her feet and she was shivering as the cold water seeped through her suit and into her very bones.

"My family built it," Bruce replied. "And I rebuilt it."

They rounded another corner after a short dark hallway and Bruce stopped at a blank wall.

"Lost?" Selina asked.

She shouldn't have been surprised when the plain cement wall slid open. A fully furnished apartment appeared before her eyes.

"Just in case," Bruce said as he looked at her shocked expression. "It's just a one bedroom space, but it's pretty effective if you want to hide."

"Or you could have just left town like I suggested," Selina replied. "You never answered me; why don't you just go take the credit you're due for saving this city?"

"This was never about taking credit, Selina," he said. "It was only about keeping innocent people safe."

"You use the word 'innocent' like Gotham didn't turn on itself once it was given the choice," Selina said.

It was so eerily reminiscent of Miranda Tate's words to him as she plunged the knife into his side.

"People get desperate," Bruce said as he moved through the apartment and turned on lights. "You should know that better than anyone."

That effectively shut her up…for a second.

"How are you going to stay down here? You want people to think you're dead; you can't exactly go to the grocery store and coffee shop in the morning," Selina said, closing the gap between them, but never taking her eyes off of his.

Bruce wrapped his arms around the woman and she pressed her body against his. They were both exhausted, but the presence of another human body was just felt too good to ignore. Selina pressed her lips to his and Bruce responded with equal passion. He backed them into the bedroom, into the darkness. They could worry about everything tomorrow.

… … … … …

A/N: Okay, that was the next installment…what did you think? Let me know!

As always, thanks so much for the fantastic responses on previous chapters! It makes me wish I had more time to update faster!


	5. Chapter 5

Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Chapter 5

Without opening his eyes, Bruce Wayne rolled over and felt for the body that _should_ have been in the bed next to him. His muscles were stiff as he turned himself in the bed, but all he found were cold sheets. It had been an incredible ending to a day that no one else could ever possibly understand. And even though it had only been a few hours ago, the fight with Bane and the betrayal from Miranda Tate felt like ages ago. It was hard to believe that anyone could make him feel that way.

_But where was Selina?_

Naked, Bruce slowly climbed out of the bed; his knee screamed in pain when he tried to put his weight on it. He could use his cane right about then. He turned on the bedside lamp and dressed himself in his boxers and t-shirt.

The bedroom was down the hallway, past a bathroom and a laundry room. He hadn't designed the place for a whole family, but he'd wanted all the comforts of home for whoever ended up needing this space. Bruce was extremely glad that he'd taken his time. But as soon as he could make sure his _other_ finances were secure, he would have them both out of there.

_If Selina wasn't already gone._

Barefoot, he padded down the hall and into the living room. He rounded the corner into the kitchen, the last room in the apartment, and expected the worst. But to his great surprise, there was Selina, putting groceries away.

She was dressed in a pair of form-fitting black leggings, a long, but equally form-fitting black sweater and bare feet. She was bobbing along to some music that Bruce couldn't hear. It was an enchanting sight, to say the least.

He leaned his weight on the counter and watched as Selina continued to dance around and busy herself with the task of finding homes for the groceries she'd gone out to find.

"You're finally awake, huh Mr. Wayne?" Selina asked, not turning around to look at the man behind her. Somehow, she had heard him, despite the headphones she was wearing. She removed them as she spoke.

"Where on earth did you find groceries?" Bruce asked, taking a step closer to her. He decided he wanted to kiss her good morning and that he was going to get what he wanted.

"They've already started shipping in supplies in mass quantities; apparently as soon as the occupation ended," she replied.

Bruce closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head on her shoulder. To his great surprise, she turned around to face him and passionately pressed her lips to his.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne," she said once they'd ended their kiss.

"Good morning, Miss Kyle," Bruce replied.

_What a way to wake up,_ Bruce thought to himself as he grinned. He was quite possibly happier than he'd ever been in his life…and this was just day one.

Selina moved out of his hands and continued to put groceries away.

"How did you get those back in here?" Bruce asked, referring to the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

Selina was putting milk and some kind of juice in the fridge and Bruce caught himself admiring the long legs on Selina Kyle. Those long legs had been wrapped around him not that long ago.

"It's probably for the best that I don't tell you," Selina said.

"You didn't…" Bruce started.

"Nope, didn't steal them," she said before he could finish his question. "It was a bit of an adventure coming through that waterfall with all these bags though."

Bruce said nothing; he merely sat down in one of the chairs at the small table in the kitchen. Aside from his stiff muscles and his stitched up side, he was feeling a lot better. Bruce was still feeling a little exhausted, after treading that much water and arriving unseen in Selina's apartment, but he was grateful to be sitting here in the kitchen with her. He didn't particularly care that he couldn't get a full read on her and her emotions at that moment.

"There are going to be swarms of people on the estate in hours, Bruce," Selina said.

"Why is that?" Bruce asked, coming out of his thoughts.

Selina turned around and handed him a tablet computer. Upside down, she pushed a couple links on the touch screen and a Gotham television channel appeared. Mike Engel's voice filled the room.

"…_No one has any reports on the whereabouts of former-billionaire Bruce Wayne. Witnesses place him in the top floor of the Wayne Enterprises building before being led off by a mysterious woman in black saying that Bane, the tyrant that was _freeing_ Gotham, needed him for himself. Gotham Police are refusing to answer about Wayne's disappearance, but it is highly likely that we can count him as another casualty to the occupation of the city. _

_We tried, also, to get in touch with the city's Police Commissioner, James Gordon, in response to the apparent self-sacrifice of the Batman in relation to saving the city. Gordon, still healing from his own wound from months ago, refused to give any interviews until a city-wide search and clean-up is complete._

_Prisoners from Blackgate Prison are being rounded up and returned to their cells as the city's clean up begins. However, it should be noted that several patients at Arkham Asylum may have escaped as well…"_

Bruce had checked out after the story of Jim Gordon. He turned off the newsfeed on the tablet. He wore no expression on his face. The camera shots between each of Engel's stories showed hundreds of Gothamites rejoicing in the streets that their city was safe once again.

Selina once again broke him out of his thoughts. "I think I have enough groceries for you to live on for a while. I have a lot of foods that shouldn't spoil. But I don't think you should live down here very long. Get out in the sunshine again, Bruce Wayne. Enjoy the life you've earned," she said. "I'm going to wait until the manhunt dies down and…"

"Where are you going?" he asked, cutting her off.

Selina hesitated. She didn't know where she was going, but rarely did she ever. The decision to return to Gotham a couple of years ago was merely on a whim; wherever she went next would be equally random.

"I wish you'd stay," he said quietly.

"You know that is a terrible idea," she replied. She didn't know what else to say. But she knew she was lying. And Bruce probably did, too.

"Why does it have to be such a terrible idea?" He ran his hands through his dark hair. He didn't want to argue with her, but he wanted her to know how he felt.

Selina slid into the chair across the table from Bruce and looked at him. "You and I…"

"Are good together," Bruce replied. "Last night…"

Selina closed her eyes, remembering the previous night. It had only been a couple hours, in fact. It was going to be hard to forget the things from last night.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked bemusedly using her own words against her.

Selina rolled her eyes, but smiled. She didn't really want to go, anyway.

"I guess I could stay and play house a little longer, Mr. Wayne," she said seductively, brushing her barefoot up and down the length of Bruce's bare calf. "But it's just because I don't think you know how to cook for yourself."

Bruce looked at the woman across the table. She looked tired, too, but she smiled in his direction. It was a smile that made his chest tighten. Bruce Wayne was a goner. He was in love with that woman. Now he just needed to know if she felt the same way about him.

"Coming back to the topic of your house…" Selina said after a short silence. "If you want anything out of it before it's crawling with the foreclosure people and whatnot, we might want to make a jaunt up there."

"_Make a jaunt?"_ He repeated. "Just for the record, there are a lot of things itemized on my will."

"Do you think I'd steal from a dead man?" Selina purred.

Bruce didn't answer her; he simply smirked in her direction.

"We don't have any towels down here. I'd like to take a shower, Bruce," Selina said.

Bruce thought about the idea of going up to the house for the last time. He knew what he'd left the house for: a home for at-risk youth. Bruce knew his furniture and remaining possessions would be sold away to settle his debts; the remaining estate would go to take care of Alfred. Hopefully it would be enough for Alfred to live comfortably for the remainder of his life. Alfred deserved so much more, but at this point, he just wanted him to be happy.

There were a couple of things he could use from the house.

"We should probably go sooner rather than later," Selina said.

"I guess I need some shoes," he replied.

Ten minutes later, they were trudging through the caves towards the old elevator that would take them up to the main floor of the house. They climbed in and Bruce looked down into her eyes.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Always."

They started moving up at a lightning pace and soon they were standing in the library of Wayne Manor, the bookshelf moving back into its place on the wall.

No one had been in the house in five months; the time that he'd been stuck in Bane's prison hell. There was a thick layer of dust on everything as they walked room to room.

The next room they came to was the drawing room. Walking through, Bruce noted, grimly, that the blankets and pillows of his night with Miranda Tate were still on the floor in front of the fireplace. Selina noted the change in his demeanor as he looked around the room.

"Something wrong?" she asked, looking back at him.

"No…um, can you upstairs, quietly, and grab some towels. There is a linen closet right at the top of the stairs. Grab some towels?" he said.

Selina nodded. He clearly needed to be alone with his thoughts for a bit. She quietly slunk off towards the stairs, careful to stay away from the windows, just in case anyone was watching the house.

Selina had to admit. This guy was different. This guy was someone that she could see herself with for the long haul.

_Where the hell did that thought come from?_

She shook herself as she climbed the grand staircase. Selina had dreamed of living in this house for most of her life. This house is what she thought of when she told her sister fairytales. This was always Prince Charming's castle and Selina was always Cinderella. But none of the good things that happened to Cinderella in the end ever happened to her.

_At least she's standing in the castle this time; instead of just looking at it from a distance._

She reached the top of the stairs and began to look for the linen closet. Selina was used to slinking in and out of rooms in these kinds of houses. She just needed to find the linen closet though.

A couple more minutes of searching had her at her required destination. Selina picked the fluffiest ones and closed the door. She knew she should just return to Bruce and help him with whatever he needed, but her curiosity got the better of her.

She continued down the hallway and found Bruce's bedroom. Bed unmade, dust covering everything. There were really no personal effects about the room, but his rumpled pajamas were lying on the ground. She would never have taken Bruce Wayne for a minimalist.

"Find the towels?" Bruce asked, scaring her half to death.

She clutched the towels to her and stifled a small scream.

"Sorry," Bruce offered.

"You're not," Selina countered. "I just…"

"You're just curious," Bruce said.

"I _am _curious. Just who is Bruce Wayne?" Selina asked.

Bruce took her arm and linked it with his.

"Well, I think we've got some time and I've got to know about Selina Kyle," he said as he walked her out of the room. "They're putting up a perimeter around the manor; we should get back downstairs."

A/N: Okay, so there was the next update. What did everyone think?

Please feel free to send me a review with suggestions for story ideas and/or improvements. Let me know what you'd want to see and if you like what I'm doing so far.

Thanks to everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 6

The speed in which the perimeter around Wayne Manor was constructed was more than a little impressive. It had only been hours. This was especially astounding considering the minor detail that the Gotham police force was recently released from their peril in the sewers of the city. There were many lives lost during the occupation, but death of the Prince of Gotham was a loss that was going to be felt by the whole city; Bruce's family's name was on everything. And when everyone finally realized that Batman was gone, too, the city was going to be even worse off.

Selina and Bruce returned to the cave and Bruce retrieved his previously forgotten bag from one of the raised platforms. If they were to let Alfred into the house, being the astute older gentleman he was, it was highly likely that he'd come down here. Finding the leftover bits of his Batsuit wasn't something that Alfred needed after the shock of his employer dying.

"You can go back to the apartment. I'm going to do some picking up around here," Bruce said.

In all honesty, Bruce needed to be alone. He had a lot of thoughts racing through his mind. And he should probably be on his own to sort them out.

Selina opened her mouth for a quick retort, but closed it almost immediately. The woman looked at the somber facial expression that Bruce was wearing and nodded at him. She reached out to take the bag that Bruce had a death-grip on and slowly and silently she disappeared under an arch into the dark hallway, leaving Bruce alone with this own mind.

Bruce sat down at his computer and turned it on. All of the news websites from around the world were reporting information on Gotham. Every website he clicked on had his name somewhere or another; some reporting that he had simply fled the city that he claimed to love so much, others repeating Mike Engel's report of his death.

One website had grainy cell phone footage of the mushroom cloud that used to be The Bat. Someone in their final seconds thought quickly enough to record this?

Bruce watched the grainy video three or four more times, the reality of the death of the Batman settling through him. He'd wanted an opportunity to be able to put down the cap and the cowl and settle down. However, it was harder on him than he thought it would be this time around.

After losing Rachel and taking the blame for the death of Harvey Dent, it wasn't as hard to retire. Bruce had thought that Rachel had died loving him; he thought she had passed on with the idea that they were going to be together. And the one thing that she couldn't deal with was Bruce's other persona. He'd wanted to hold on to her memory and let the city deal with the death of their "White Knight" without the interference. They had the Dent Act enacted shortly thereafter and crime rate significantly decreased.

Those eight years of his retirement weren't without their problems, though. He'd been seriously injured after his last fight with the Joker, leaving his knee almost completely unusable. And living with the idea that he could have eliminated the problem of the Joker by killing him off way before that marred his dreams. And at the end, he could have dropped him off the building, none would have been the wiser. Instead, Bruce allowed Gotham Police to take the man in the grease paint, who was laughing maniacally, to be booked into Arkham Asylum for the rest of his hopefully miserable existence.

Bruce had continued to work on bettering Gotham through projects that could be done from the east wing of Wayne Manor. Not leaving the house became easier and easier with each passing year; with only Alfred to talk to. It wasn't surprising that he became a mark for Selina.

He was telling the absolute truth when he admitted to himself that Selina awoke something within him. He wasn't sure if it was when she kicked his cane out of his hand and knocked him to the ground or when she whispered in his ear at the party, but he absolutely felt something different when he was near her.

Bruce sighed. He'd needed something the day that Miranda Tate was waiting at the house. Needed someone, actually. He had left Selina's apartment and found Miranda. His money was all gone. Alfred was gone. Even his car was gone. And while he'd made love with Miranda that night, this thoughts had constantly gone back to the other dark-haired woman. Selina. He'd tried to be constantly present as he'd caressed Miranda, but he kept imagining that he'd open his eyes and the Catwoman would be in his arms.

He felt guilty using Miranda; he told himself that he did have feelings for her. But it was a lie. She _was_ lovely, like both Alfred and Lucius had said, but she was lying to him. She'd used Bruce, too. So, somehow it was all going to have to be okay.

_What was happening to him?_

Bruce looked at the time. He'd been sitting there for more than an hour, dredging up old memories. Selina probably didn't mind though; she probably needed some alone time, too.

Bruce finished up a few more things at his computer, including checking on the status of his extra bank accounts. By tomorrow they would be properly transferred, under his _other_ name and available for withdrawal. Bruce wouldn't automatically use the word 'paranoid' to describe himself, but he was a rich man and he liked to consider himself prepared for the future.

Bruce cleared all the data from his computers; he didn't need anyone who stumbled upon them to know he was still around checking up on himself. He then shut them down. They descended back into the platform, the chair going down with it.

He looked around the cave. Bruce felt more at home down here, than he had upstairs in the house. It didn't surprise him.

Selina was curled up on the couch when Bruce returned to their shared apartment. _A cat nap,_ Bruce thought to himself amusedly. Her presence was already making him smile more than he had in years.

She opened an eye when he walked into the room. Despite needing the nap after not getting much sleep last night, she was constantly on edge.

"Did you get things sorted out?" she asked sleepily. Selina stood up and stretched her lithe body. She arched her back in another deep stretch, demonstrating her flexibility once more and Bruce found himself admiring her fitness again.

Bruce nodded. He supposed things could be deemed 'sorted out'.

"Are you hungry?" Selina asked.

He hadn't really thought about it. Food had been one of the last things on his mind. But suddenly it was sounding like a fantastic idea.

"You cook?" Bruce asked.

Selina smiled slyly. "A girl's gotta eat," she replied. "If you want to go get cleaned up, I'll make us something."

"I had no idea you were so…_domestic,_" Bruce said to her.

"Well, it's not always champagne and caviar when you're in my line of work, Mr. Wayne. But when you get good at it, there's almost always something to eat for dinner."

Selina handed him a towel and he headed out in the direction of the bathroom before he pulled her along with him.

The hot water hit his sore and tired body and he rested his head on the shower wall. His mind was reeling with the realization that everything was really over. He'd been broken, mentally and physically, by Bane and he'd overcome it. Bruce had been in agony the five months he'd spent in Bane's prison, but he'd been in a similar agony during his eight year retirement. He washed what was left of the blood and sweat of the final fight with Bane off of his body. The soap stung his various lacerations and his stitches, but he was feeling better than he had in years.

Finally, he realized how exhausted he actually was. Bruce had slept a little, after making love to Selina, but even when they'd gone up to the house, he'd been operating on adrenaline. He let the hot water scald his skin as his eyes grew heavy.

Bruce had been in the shower for a very long time. Selina had made them a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and the meal was starting to get cold.

Selina padded back to the bathroom door and knocked. She got no response. That was not a good sign.

She tried the door handle; it wasn't locked, so she opened the door. The bathroom was full of steam and terribly hot.

"Bruce?" she said, but still got no response. Selina could see Bruce's figure through the glass of the shower, but he was leaning against the tile and not moving.

"Bruce?" she said louder. Nothing, still. She was going to have to go in.

Selina opened up the glass door and for a moment, she thought he was unconscious, maybe even dead. Could he have had worse injuries than they'd originally thought? She reached in and touched Bruce's face. His eyes immediately flashed open.

"Sorry, I—I…" Selina stammered. She was just as shocked as Bruce was.

"It's all right," Bruce said, coming out of his sleep-state. He reached for her and she allowed herself to be pulled into the hot shower, fully clothed.

Selina was pushed up against the glass, pinned by the dark-haired man. His lips were on hers as the water beat down on the both of them. Bruce's hands were exploring all of the curves of her body, but quickly realized that she was wearing far too much clothing.

"You're overdressed," his Batman voice growled in her ear.

The sound of the growl sent a shiver down her spine, despite the scalding hot water. The two of them set to getting the sopping wet sweater off of Selina and out of the shower.

"That was Mohair," she said, once she was freed. "It's probably ruined," she laughed.

"I don't care," he growled again.

Selina looked him in the eyes before she braced herself on him to shimmy out of her leggings. His eyes were completely dark as he looked back at her.

Bruce took the opportunity to sample the pale flesh at her pulse point once she stood back up. But he didn't waste any more time. He picked Selina up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pinned her up against the glass once more. Selina gasped in shock and delight as they picked up a rhythm.

The sandwiches lay forgotten as they stayed in the shower until the water ran cold.

… … …

This time when Bruce woke up, there was a different feeling. The weight on his chest was a physical one, rather than a metaphorical one, and he welcomed it.

Selina was sleeping heavily and breathing evenly with her damp hair splayed across his chest. It was drying in curls. He was learning about her even in her sleep. Bruce couldn't resist; he ran his fingers through her hair, causing her to stir. But all she did was snuggle her bare body closer to his.

This was something he could get used to.

"Stop watching me sleep," she mumbled into his chest.

Her eyelashes fluttered against his skin and tickled him slightly. That was something he'd never felt before.

Selina shifted again, slightly and she pulled the sheet up around her.

"I could probably get used to this," Selina said. "But all my hard work on those sandwiches…" she trailed off as Bruce ran a hand down the length of her smooth back.

"Do you think you could get used to it in Italy?" Bruce asked quietly.

Selina looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest.

"I'm adaptable," she said with a grin.

… … … …

A/N: Okay, it was a bit of a fluff chapter, but I promise there's going to be more action later. I'm going to try and update as often as I can, but I'm going to be working twice as much as normal next week.

As always, thank you so much for the fantastic response on this story. It's been incredible so far, just checking the hits I've been getting. Please let me know what you think, by way of a review.

Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 7

A few hours later, it was Selina's turn to wake up to an empty bed. Bruce had tucked the blankets around her body when he'd gotten up and effectively left her in a cozy cocoon. She didn't want to get up, but she forced herself to stretch and clothe herself before going to look for her male counterpart.

When she exited the bedroom, she smiled into the dark doorway of the bathroom. Her ruined sweater and leggings lay in dark piles on the tiled floor. There were some good memories from the place already. And she didn't have to worry about packing memories.

Bruce was seated at the coffee table; his laptop open in front of him, when Selina walked into the room. The man looked up and smiled as she walked into the room.

"Couldn't sleep?" Selina asked.

"I had some things do take care of," Bruce replied, motioning to the computer screen. There was bank information pulled up. "I thought about waiting longer to leave the city, but…"

Selina stopped him. "It would be easier to leave Gotham during its recovery and rebuilding stages rather than when everyone's paying a lot of attention. The city is still in a state of unrest and, essentially…_chaos,_" Selina said, sitting down next to him on the couch. "I mean, the cops just got out of the sewers."

Bruce nodded.

"That is why you and I will be heading to Metropolis, first, to pick up a plane and then we'll be leaving from there," Bruce said. "Then, we'll end up somewhere more exotic."

Selina's eyes widened in anticipation; where were they going?

"Where are we going?" she asked, when Bruce didn't volunteer a location.

"Italy."

"Why Italy?"

"Why not?"

But that wasn't a good enough answer. Selina just continued to stare at him, waiting for a more detailed answer.

"I've never been there," Bruce said. "I want to see it. Have you ever been to Italy?"

"I didn't get much further south than Paris," Selina explained.

"It should be very pleasant this time of year," he said. "But before we can go, you have the little business of this Clean Slate."

He plugged a flash drive into the side of his laptop and a bright white screen automatically filled the computer's display. A dialog box, with only boxes for a name and date of birth appeared in the center of it.

"Are you ready?" he asked, turning to look into her eyes.

_What kind of question was that? _

"Absolutely," Selina replied.

He turned the computer towards her and she put her fingers to the keys. She typed in her full name and tabbed down to the next box. Her birthday surprised Bruce; she was an entire decade younger than him. He kept quiet, though and watched as she hit the transmit function that appeared once her data was in place.

Bits and pieces of Selina Kyle's life started flashing across the screen. A funeral announcement for Selina's mother, followed shortly by one for her father quickly blipped by. Then her various mug shots appeared.

"How many times were you arrested?" Bruce asked, as he watched each image, Selina growing a bit older in each one.

"Three or four," Selina replied. "Maybe seven."

"And you were 16 when you escaped from a women's correctional facility for the first time?" Bruce smirked.

"15," Selina replied without emotion.

The last image that appeared was her final mug shot, from when she tried to flee Gotham a few months prior. Then the computer screen went stark white again.

"Selina Kyle has a fresh start," Bruce said. "What are you going to do?"

"Is Disney World out of the question?" Selina asked jokingly. "But it doesn't matter what I'm going to do with it. The real question is: what is Bruce Wayne going to do with it?"

"I'm not going to be able to delete myself. It would be too suspicious if my name and records just suddenly vanished. Not that…" Bruce trailed off as he realized what he was saying.

"No one is going to notice if my records are gone, but you're right, your records disappearing would be highly conspicuous. When do we leave?"

"Just as soon as you're packed."

… … … …

They waited until it was dark outside to begin their trip. They decided it would be easier to make their getaway under the cloak of darkness.

Selina stared silently out of the car window as Bruce drove them out of the woods and onto the actual road. It was a moonless, starless night as they started their trip. It was snowing lightly and the terrible windshield wipers on their stolen vehicle merely smeared the moisture with the grime that had accumulated on it. She didn't feel the need to say good-bye to a city she never really cared about, but something about the quietness of the city becoming covered in a light powdery snow had her mesmerized.

Bruce was dressed in a black sweater and charcoal grey flat front dress pants. Despite the cold temperature, he had the sleeves of his sweater pushed up on his forearms, various scars and bruises marring the otherwise muscular arms. He drove them silently as well; he could tell Selina had things on her mind and he was going to let her come to terms with them. She could talk when she wanted to.

They were going to keep a low profile on their way out. The car they had was perfect for it. It wasn't old or new, it was a neutral color and it didn't make any loud noises. It would get them to their destination just fine, but they had to make one quick stop before they could leave Gotham City behind for good.

Once they started getting closer to the Narrows, Bruce could feel his muscles tightening. He didn't like the idea of taking Selina to the Narrows, but she was used to this area of Gotham.

"Make a left on Greer," Selina said, once Bruce had steered them back into the city. "And then a right on Hamilton."

"Are you going to tell me why we _have_ to stop here?" Bruce asked as he chauffeured her through the least-desirable area of city.

"I _already_ told you," Selina replied. "It's just a bit of paperwork. To make entry into Italy a little easier," she explained. "I lost my last passport, and I know a guy…"

"You know a guy in the Narrows that can get you a passport?" Bruce asked.

"Of course I do. Certified faux passports…"

Once Selina had found out that they were leaving the country, she immediately got in touch with one of her contacts. She might have moved to a Midtown apartment, but her roots were still definitely firmly planted in the seedy underworld of Gotham City.

"Forged passports?" Bruce said. "You shouldn't need it, Selina. The Clean Slate took care of that," he said, turning the car to the left.

"Hamilton should only be a couple more blocks south of here," Selina said. "Are you just going to walk into Italy and announce that you're Bruce Wayne? You'll be hauled off before you can even enjoy a little bit of the pasta and vino."

Bruce turned to look at her. She did have a point. Either the immigration officials would think he's crazy or that he was trying to pull something. Bruce was already travelling with Selina Kyle, so it was true by all accounts without going by his actual name to boot.

Bruce had the car slowed down in the slushy street. The neon lights announcing bars and convenience stores were gone as they drove deeper into the neighborhood. More and more buildings were all black, save for a few lit windows here and there. The Narrows was all but deserted, unless you knew where to look.

"I got you one, too," she said, motioning to the street sign that said Hamilton. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he knew these streets like the back of his hand.

"The building we need is right there," she said as they slowly drove down the painfully dark streets. "You can park right here; I'll only be a minute."

Bruce read her face. She was absolutely confident that she could go alone. But something didn't feel right.

"I don't think it's a good idea that you do this," Bruce said, pulling the car over and cutting the headlights. "I think I should go with you."

"No," Selina replied. "You should stay with the car. Otherwise it won't be here when we get back," she said matter-of-factly.

"Who do you know here?" Bruce asked, the hard edge coming back to his voice.

Selina turned to look at the man to her left. "You don't need to worry about me."

Bruce cocked an eyebrow. "I don't?"

"No, you _don't_ need to worry about me, Wayne," Selina hissed.

She threw open the door of the car and made her exit. Bruce could only watch as she disappeared into the dark doorway of the building right next to them.

But Bruce couldn't, in good conscience, let Selina go into this alone. The Narrows were terrible anyway, but in light of recent events, it was far worse. With the prospect of a clean getaway within reach, the prospect of losing Selina was far worse.

Bruce turned off the engine and opened his own door. He shut the door behind him, as quietly as possible, and in doing so, Bruce lost sight of Selina.

Selina had found a deep shadow to stand in. She waited for a moment before she was joined.

"I was thinking you weren't going to show, Kyle," a voice said. It was smooth and even and she could feel his breath on her neck.

Selina took a step back, the movement caught Bruce's eye and he moved to a closer shadow. He needed to keep his head down; it wouldn't be helpful to have anyone see him.

"Of course, I'm here Eddie," Selina purred. "Are they ready?" she asked.

"No, 'hey, how are yous?" Eddie asked, turning her towards him. His bright blue eyes were visible in the dark of the alley.

"I've got things to do," Selina said. "Give them to me so I can go."

He held the leather-bound passports in one hand, just out of her reach.

"Price has gone up," he said. "Even for you."

Selina shook her head. "There isn't a price, remember, Eddie? You owe me."

Eddie made some kind of signal with his empty hand and suddenly she was surrounded.

Selina tipped her head to one side. "Really?"

"Really."

"You know, you pretend you're all fancy in your suits and ties, but you're still just a lowlife criminal, Eddie," Selina said. "And that's all you'll ever be."

"So are you," he said before pressing his lips to hers.

She fought him back and pushed him against the brick wall behind him, hitting it hard with a loud thud.

"We're over," Selina replied. Selina elbowed the guy on her right up into his nose. She felt the petite bones crushing under the force as she smashed it into his face. Blood started gushing immediately and the man's hands flew to his face.

The next guy hesitated as he looked at the woman before him and his buddy with the terribly broken nose. Selina took her chance and punched the stocky guy in the face. It was a good right hook, but he recovered quickly and came at Selina. He had no official fight training, so it was difficult to gauge how he was going to swing. Luckily, Gotham's Dark Knight wanted one more fight.

Bruce stuck to the shadows, so none of them could see him, but he was able to anticipate the rogue punches and jabs. With three well-timed punches, including one terrible crunching sound when he connected with the man's jaw, the stocky guy fell to the ground, unconscious.

Bruce said nothing as he made sure the last person could not run away while he stood hidden in the shadows.

Selina rounded on Eddie.

"Give me the passports," Selina said evenly. She knew Bruce was behind her, so she wanted to keep the focus on her.

"We could work out an arrangement," Eddie said softly. Anyone else might have not caught it, but there was definitely a meaning behind his words. "If your friend in the shadows doesn't mind."

"He minds," the voice behind Selina said.

"You and I had our moment, Edward," Selina said. "Now, I want my passport."

He continued to hold the documents out in front of both of them.

"If you can answer my question…_riddle me this…_why would you need a passport with no picture? Who's the guy behind you? Tell me the truth and I'll let you have them."

"No," Selina said sharply. Without warning, she kicked the man in the groin and the passports flew out of his hands. Bruce, never leaving the shadows, reached out and snatched them deftly from the air.

"I think it's time to go," he growled in Selina's ear, causing a shiver through her spine in the dark alley.

They both rushed to the car; they were going to leave Gotham in the rearview mirror.

Once safely in the car and Bruce was sure they weren't being followed, Bruce allowed himself to relax. He looked over at Selina who was as far away from him as physically possible in the small town car.

"So, are you going to tell me what all of that was about?" Bruce asked.

Selina smiled. "It's a long story."

"Well, we've got a long night ahead of us," Bruce said. "Start talking."

A/N: So sorry for not updating more often. I've been working double shifts this whole week.

Hopefully, pacing is still good.

Please cheer me up on this dreary week with some comments/reviews. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Okay, I failed in the previous chapters to make a disclaimer about my non-ownership of Batman and all Batman-related things. I am not making any money from Batman or any related characters. It would be nice, but no. I am writing solely because I love to.

As always, thank you so much for sticking through this with me and continuing to read my little story.

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 8

"Where was she going, Nigma?" a nasal voice said from the shadow behind Edward Nigma.

This particular man's voice caused Edward's whole body to shudder. His initial instinct was to flee, as fast as his legs would carry him, but he was turned around forcibly by the shoulders. Edward found himself pinned to the same damn spot that Selina had been up against only minutes ago.

Edward took in the face that was staring back at him. White grease paint covered his entire face with large black circles around his blank eyes. His lips and surrounding skin were bright red, as were the scars that were still clear despite being covered in the make-up.

"She…she… she didn't say," Eddie's voice trembled as he spoke.

"Aw, c'mon, Eddie-baby," the Joker smiled. "Tell me where the kitty cat was heading."

He wrapped his purple latex gloved-hands around the man's neck, cutting off all but just enough oxygen from the man.

"What do you need her for?" he sputtered. By now, the man was shaking, from both fear and the oxygen deprivation. Unconsciousness would be coming on soon.

"I'm curious, Nigma," the Joker said evenly. "And you know what they say about curiosity and the cat."

Edward Nigma slipped into unconsciousness and slumped down the brick wall as the Joker released him.

The Joker kicked the man that lay on the ground at his feet. "You've always been useless, Nigma. I'm just going to have to find a way to get the kitty to come back to me."

… … … … … … … … …

Metropolis was still buzzing with activity at midnight. Groups of people were still out and about, laughing and joking, presumably heading to another club or bar. No one sounded too worried that they were out so late at night. Despite the city's size, the crime rate was so low, even without a man running around in a bat suit. But Selina had heard they had their own crime-fighter that kept their streets safe. She'd only been there a couple of times, mostly when she was trying to hide from Gotham police.

Staring out the window, Selina took in the bright lights of the city. She admired how different Metropolis was from Gotham. Metropolis was a much better city to raise a family in.

_Wait, where did that come from?_ Selina thought to herself. _Why was she even considering raising a family?_ She shook herself and forced herself to focus on the car ride and Bruce sitting next to her. She needed to be in the moment at hand.

The airport they were heading to was on the northeast edge of the city. Bruce didn't take his eyes off the road as they continued their drive; he merely sat and listened to her. Selina had finally acquiesced to Bruce after about half an hour of silence and told him her story; she only left _some_ of the parts out, like anything involving her family. She wasn't ready to divulge those secrets yet.

Bruce brought the car to a stop at the edge of some woods. They could leave the car there and it wouldn't be found for days. There was a bit of a distance to cross between them and the Metropolis airport hangar. But it didn't matter; after everything they had been through in their lives, a few more yards to freedom didn't make a difference.

"What if they screen the car for DNA?" Selina asked, as they began to move away from the vehicle.

"They won't," Bruce replied confidently. "Stick to the shadows."

"Um, yeah," Selina replied. But she was still focused on the car they were leaving behind. "Seriously, what if they go through the car when they find it?"

"They aren't going to," Bruce said. "Don't be so paranoid."

"Says the eccentric billionaire who was holed up in his mansion for eight years, forgoing the light of day."

"Ex-billionaire."

"Whatever," Selina hissed.

"Let's go," Bruce said.

Bruce had listened to her tell her story without interruption. He knew the woman was holding back, though, but he didn't feel like he should pry. Hopefully they would be spending a long time together, though, and he would be able to make her comfortable enough to open up.

Selina was matching Bruce's long strides through the shadows. Her long legs allowed her to keep up with his quick pace. They knew they needed to be cautious, but the hangar getting closer and closer was making their adrenaline pound through their systems.

The only minor hitch was a set of guards patrolling as they were slinking between hangars. Bruce stopped and pulled Selina around the waist up against him.

He said nothing; he merely looked down into her eyes. A slight smile crossed his lips. Selina thought briefly of kissing him, but now definitely wasn't the time.

They could hear the laughs and footsteps of the guards receding further and further away from them.

"I think we can go," Selina said. But Bruce didn't let go right away. "Bruce," Selina said softly.

He almost kissed her, but the moment passed and he just allowed himself to enjoy how soft her voice was when she said his name. But they were going to have to go; time was not on their side, even though they weren't really running from anything specific.

"Which building are we going to?" she whispered.

They both peered around the corner of the large building they were currently standing next to.

"It's three over."

"There's a lot of lights between us and that hangar."

"That is true. But you're quick," Bruce replied. "On three."

"Three," Selina said, dashing away without warning. Bruce followed after her a second later.

The woman was waiting at the entrance of the hangar in question when Bruce caught up with her.

"Unlock this so we can get going," Selina said.

Bruce didn't move. He just looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"When I said that stealing the car was the last bit of questionable activity…" he began.

"This isn't your plane, is it, Wayne?" she smirked.

"Well, my money paid for it," Bruce replied. "So, technically…"

"Don't you just hate technicalities?" she said sarcastically. "Please, hold," Selina said, holding out her bag.

The door to the hangar was double bolted and more than likely armed with some kind of an alarm. The building itself was made of corrugated steel and was going to be almost impossible to climb, despite the fact that there were windows three quarters of the way up the wall.

But Selina wasn't the kind of woman who gave in easily, especially to things like this.

Using the door handle as leverage, she was able to hoist herself up easily up to the surprisingly wide doorframe. From her spot above the door, she was only inches from being able to reach the window above her. Bruce was watching from the ground; she couldn't be balancing on much more than half an inch of space in boots that were never meant for climbing.

Selina leapt deftly, bending her knees only just enough, so she could latch on to the window frame. She pulled herself up using her upper-body strength and disappeared through the luckily open window.

Bruce heard nothing after that. There couldn't be anything for her to climb down on, so she had to make a jump. He started to worry that she was injured as time continued to tick by until he heard the deadbolt slide in the lock.

She leaned seductively on the doorframe after she opened the door, smiling at the man waiting for her.

"Did you miss me?" she purred.

Selina felt herself blush all over as she watched the way Bruce looked at her. In the dark, she couldn't see his eyes, but Selina had a feeling his light brown eyes had darkened significantly as he looked her up and down.

"We…we should probably continue on," Selina said, stuttering for the first time in her life. No one had ever looked at her like that and definitely no one had made her legitimately speechless before. "There was no alarm panel; that's what took me so long," she recovered, gaining her voice back.

"Good," Bruce replied.

"Yeah, I thought you might like some good news," she said.

He nodded. "We need to get our things on the plane before we open the doors to the hangar. I also want to make sure it's got enough gas."

"How practical of you," Selina said.

"Just go put your things on the plane," he said.

Selina did as she was told and climbed the stairs that Bruce had made appear. She had never been on a plane this small. This was, by far, the nicest mode of transportation she'd ever had the pleasure of riding in. She must have been standing with a look of disbelief on her face because Bruce put a hand on the small of her back to turn her towards him. Selina hadn't even heard him follow her up the stairs.

"Something wrong?" he asked, concerned for her.

"No, no," she replied. "I'm just…taking it all in," Selina finished.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice," Bruce said. "And it should be, Clayton embezzled a lot of money from Wayne Enterprises to buy it," he said under his breath. "It's a 20 million dollar plane."

"Who is Clayton?" Selina asked, one eyebrow raised at both the embezzlement and the sheer price of the plane.

"Someone I thought was a friend, but wasn't," Bruce said.

He set his bag down on one of the luxurious deep brown leather chairs before continuing.

"I'm going to start this thing up; make yourself at home," he said, recovering from the bad memory of his old friend, Clayton. "There's a bathroom all the way at the back and a kitchen, too. But I doubt there is any food."

"It'll be all right," Selina replied.

Bruce nodded, squeezed her hand and moved to the cockpit of the plane. Seconds later, Selina heard the plane come to life. He went through his mental checklist of things to do. Fuel was good and based on the model of the plane, Bruce's mental math figured that they should be all set to get to Italy. He went through the rest of the list and stepped back out of the cockpit.

"I'm going to open the doors. We're leaving immediately after that," Bruce said. He didn't wait for a response. He descended from the plane and was out of sight. Selina heard the scraping of the steel doors and soon Bruce was climbing back in the plane and pulling the door closed behind him.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Do I have a choice at this point?" Selina said, a small smile playing at the corners of her red lips.

"No," he replied as he walked to the front of the plane. She could hear him sit down in the captain's chair.

"Where do you want me?" Selina asked, just the tiniest bit of tease in her voice as she carefully chose her words.

There was no answer for a good minute as Bruce began to taxi the private plane out onto the hangar's runway.

Selina knew he was trying to focus, so she didn't say anything else. She merely settled herself down in one of the leather chairs and curled up.

"Put your seatbelt on," Bruce called from the cockpit. He was a skilled pilot, because he didn't do anything halfway, but his faith in the plane was lacking.

In the back of the plane, Selina did what she was told. She was still uneasy about being on this plane and she anxiously found a book in her bag and tried to distract herself.

Truthfully, Bruce wasn't all that calm about flying either. The last time he'd been piloting something, it had blown up. Granted, it was flying a nuclear bomb at top speed, knowing full-well it would be exploding in moments. But the pros of this situation currently, a new life, Selina, not having to be Batman, surely outweighed the cons. He really didn't know what the cons were at this point anyway; the promise of a new life distracted him too much.

He was grateful the expensive plane he was steering out onto the runway only needed short distance to take off. If they'd had more time, Bruce would have taxied out of the hangar and closed the doors, but they just plain didn't have it. Even with the guards out patrolling, they would be long gone when they discovered the open plane hangar. At some point in the very near future, he _was_ going to have to deal with the GPS system so they wouldn't be tracked that way.

"Hey, Selina?" he called after giving her some time to settle in. He'd gotten the plane in the air with no trouble and they were now at a cruising altitude.

Selina didn't want to get up, she had finally relaxed and had started to get into the book she was reading, but Bruce needed her.

She unbuckled herself and walked, book in hand, to the cockpit of the plane.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, once she'd entered his peripheral vision.

Selina took a seat in the co-pilot's chair and turned to look at Bruce's concentrated face. He seemed to be good at everything he did.

"No, I was just reading; to get my mind off of everything," she said.

"I _did_ notice you had a lot of books," Bruce said.

"Reading was been my escape when I was younger," Selina said, without thinking. She caught the confused look on Bruce's face and she quickly changed the subject. "How long do you think the flight is going to be?"

"Probably about eight hours," he said. "How are you with GPS units?"

"Depends on what you want me to do with said GPS unit?" Selina said. "I've never enjoyed the annoying little voice telling you to turn the wrong way on a one way street…"

"I need you to disable the one here in the plane," Bruce cut her off. "Can you do that?"

Selina looked at Bruce with an incredulous look. "Of course I can do that." She set her book down and immediately got to work. Bruce leaned over to read the cover of the abandoned book and rolled his eyes. _50 Shades of Grey_. Apparently even catwomen fell victim to fads.

A few minutes later, Selina was finished. She'd worked silently and quickly, knowing that the longer she took, the easier it would be for them to be found.

"I have it set up that we can put it back together. It would have been quicker and easier to smash the shit out of it, but it's such a nice plane," Selina said, climbing back into the co-pilot's position. She pulled her book back into her lap, but did not open it.

"That's a good idea," Bruce said.

They were out over the ocean already and the sun was rising. It was a beautiful pink and gold sky. Bruce looked at her and noticed a silver scar on her collar bone that was peeking out of her slightly scoop necked shirt. It was illuminated by the color of the sunrise and it stood out against her fair skin.

"How did you get that scar?" Bruce asked, curious about the origins of said wound.

Her hand instinctively moved to the silver line on her right collar bone.

"Um, I fell," she lied. "Really hard. A long time ago," she answered in short staccato beats. She knew he wouldn't be happy with the real story and she didn't want to upset him, ever, but especially while he was piloting a plane.

Bruce didn't believe her. Not for a single second.

"What _really_ happened, Selina?" Bruce asked.

Selina shook her head. "I don't…"

She waited for a response as she trailed off. Selina expected the gruff Batman growl to follow her lie, but what came was gentler than she'd gotten from him before.

"You're lying; just tell me the truth."

"It's from a scuffle with an individual you might remember…he went by the Joker," Selina said quietly.

She saw Bruce's body stiffen at the mention of the Joker.

"Tell me everything," there was the Batman voice. And Selina knew better than to lie any further.

It was going to be a very long flight to Italy.

… … … … … …

Okay, what did you think? Holy plot twists, Batman! A note: the plane I'm talking about is Cessna Citation X. It's really a $20 million plane and it's beautiful.

So, as always, please leave me a review and let me know what you think!

THANK YOU!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I would like to state a big thank you to **kindleflame5** who put up with my indecision on reposting this chapter with revisions. I would also like to thank the Anonymous reviewer that posted on my original chapter 9 and confirmed what I'd been thinking about my chapter before and as I posted it. Thank you both for the constructive criticism and words of advice; it means a lot to me that you've taken the time to help me improve my writing.

I've made some revisions, so if you've already read the chapter before I pulled it yesterday, please read it again.

So, here it goes…

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 9

Steadily, Bruce brought the small aircraft down at the Peretola Airport. It was located just outside of Florence and was the proud owner of one singular runway. He was surprisingly awake for the length of the flight he'd just made. He pressed the button for the landing gear as they descended toward the runway and soon they were touching down. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders as the plane decreased in speed on the ground.

Bruce looked over at Selina, who was still asleep. She'd conked out probably an hour after telling her story. She was now snoring open-mouthed in the co-pilot's chair. It was very amusing to see her that way.

He'd been blindsided when she told him that she'd been involved with the Joker, at all. And he didn't like feeling that way.

She had told him everything. Her voice remained even and calm throughout the whole story, despite the picture she painted with her words. He tried to concentrate fully on landing the plane, but what she'd told him kept repeating in his head.

_A few hours ago…_

"I had this friend a few years back…" Selina began.

"Not the woman you were living with?" Bruce asked.

"No, that was Jen who tried to rob you," Selina said non-chalantly. "This other woman, her name was Harleen Quinzel. You know, even to this day, I don't know where I met her, but she suddenly appeared everywhere I was."

Bruce nodded as she continued her story.

"Well, she and I became friends; she and I were close in age and she seemed to share similar interests, if you get what I mean.

"Harley didn't tell me much, if anything, about her personal or professional life. And I didn't share anything with her either. All I know is that she let me crash at her place a few times, when I was in-between living arrangements. She did tell me about the guy she was seeing. That he was trying to change how Gotham was and that he might be able to use me on the next job he was running.

"I asked what the job was, but I was told just to show up. I was either in or I was out."

"So, of course you went," Bruce said. He wasn't being judgmental; he was just stating the facts.

Selina nodded. "I'd been living on the streets for a while…" Selina said, trailing off after realizing what she'd just said. That was something she wasn't ready to explain to Bruce, so she just continued her story. "I figured I could just break him into whatever place he needed me to and get my part of the cut.

"It was about nine years ago now. It had been two weeks and I showed up where I was told and it was a bunch of sort of normal-looking guys and one guy who was in white greasepaint with black all the way around his eyes…the Joker. I thought he looked absolutely crazy, but I needed the money, so I told myself that I didn't give a shit what he looked like. He gave us the gist of it. We were going to be hitting one of the mob-owned banks in broad daylight. It wasn't really my style, but the money was huge. He kept using the word 'chaos' and calling us the 'agents of change'."

Selina stopped for a moment, as if to collect the memories so she could continue to weave the story for Bruce.

"Before he talked to us individually, he decided to illustrate what would happen to each of us if we tried to back out now. He walked us to another room where there were three guys in clown masks suspended on ropes from the ceiling in various states of decay. As the woman of the group, I got to talk to him first. He told me I had a different mission than the others and that he'd just changed my role. I was to go to Arkham and break Harley out. I guess I hadn't realized that I hadn't spoken to her in a couple of weeks. Apparently, they'd admitted her as a patient. The Joker told me that's where he'd met her and that he needed her before I could get a single cent of my money.

"But I'd heard the whole plot," Selina said quietly. "I'm nosy and I'd snuck back to listen. He was telling each one of them that they would be in charge of eliminating the person before them, as soon as the task was completed."

Bruce thought he heard her voice hitch, but she continued on.

"I obviously tried to complete my job; I don't need to tell you that the Joker was a psychopath and he scared the shit out of me, particularly since I'd seen the dead guys. But Harley was under heavy guard at Arkham. I'd done some research and found out that she'd actually been an intern at the asylum. Somehow she'd fallen in love with the nut-job and she'd broken him out! Harley had killed half a dozen guards on that particular occasion and when they came after her to pick her up; she'd stabbed another two guards. I decided that Harley deserved to be put away and figured they'd pick the Joker guy up sooner rather than later. They decided to move Harley to Chicago to a more secure prison."

"The Joker couldn't have been too happy about that," Bruce said.

"Of course not," Selina said, shaking her head. "I'm still glad that I left her there, though. But the Joker _did _come after me."

"What did he do?"

"Bruce…"

"Just tell me."

"I had decided to run my own job; I'd been after some jewelry and I was on a roof in the East End. I heard something down in the alley; it sounded like a woman pleading for her life, so I shimmied down the drainpipe and came face to face with the last person I wanted to see."

Selina was transported back to that moment as she spoke to him.

"_You only had one thing to do," he said snidely, forcing her up against the wall. "You assured me that it would be taken care of, Ms. Kyle."_

_Selina looked around and there was no one in the alley but the two of them._

"_She killed six people. She should stay in Arkham."_

"_Do you know how many people I've killed?" he asked quietly. "Do you know how many people are _going_ to die?"_

"_Are you trying to scare me?" Selina replied._

"_I don't like leaving loose ends, Ms. Kyle. And," he said, opening a switchblade with a clean swishing sound. "And you, my lovely, are a loose end."_

"He lunged at me, knife first," Selina said. "I caught the blade by my collarbone and the adrenaline just surged through me. We scuffled for a bit, I punched him and kicked him and eventually I knocked him flat on his back; he must have hit his head hard on the ground. Suddenly, he was unconscious in front of me and I had a switchblade coming out of my collarbone. I got the hell out of there, moved into my apartment in Midtown the very next day. I guess he got distracted from me, though. The next day was the day of the bank heist and then all hell broke loose here in Gotham."

Bruce remembered the next part of the story too well. He'd been a major player in the events that led up to the Joker being put in Arkham Asylum, where he was now currently a permanent resident.

Selina grew silent; simply staring out the windows of the cockpit like she'd zoned out. Remembering the details made her sick to her stomach. Maybe if she'd have killed him that night, she could have saved the city all the chaos he caused.

Like he was reading her mind, Bruce reached over and took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you for telling me."

She nodded. "I'm glad you put him in Arkham." She grew silent and eventually the exhaustion of it all took over and she fell asleep and remained that way still, even as he was now bringing the plane to the ground.

The motion suddenly stopping, however, did wake Selina up. Her mouth snapped closed as the slow realization of how she'd been sleeping came to her. She was temporarily embarrassed, but decided that there were more important things to worry about.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Bruce greeted her.

"Hi," Selina replied.

They were taxiing down the runway, losing speed with each passing second. Their freedom was real. And their freedom was here.

"Welcome home," Selina said quietly as the plane came to a stop. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. I guess I didn't realize I was so tired. You must be exhausted now."

"I'll make it until we find a hotel," Bruce smiled.

Despite the horrific story she'd told him, he couldn't help but be happy. Bruce couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy and relaxed and he could see that Selina was relaxing, too.

"Do you have an idea of where we're going to stay?" she asked, stretching her whole body once the plane had stopped.

Bruce also stood and stretched his body. His knee was locked up from being seated so long, but he forced it to bend so he could be standing upright. Without warning, Selina wrapped her long arms around Bruce and kissed him.

A moment later, she stepped away, a coy smile on her lips.

"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining…"

"For saving me," she replied. "Let's get going; I'm _so_ incredibly ready to start my new life."

Bruce didn't need to be asked twice. He made sure the engines were off and the two of them grabbed their things before exiting the plane.

It was mid-afternoon in Italy and the sun was shining and it was just plain hot as they descended the stairs. A man was rushing at them, shouting something in Italian as they disembarked the plane.

Selina didn't hesitate. She replied to the man and Bruce watched her curiously. She seemed to speak the language fluently.

"What?" she asked Bruce as the airport official smiled at her and Bruce looked at her confusedly.

"You speak Italian?" he asked.

"A little bit. I speak more French," she replied coolly. "What would you like him to do with the plane?" Selina asked.

"We could rent a hangar if they have a spare one," Bruce said, still in disbelief of the woman standing next to him.

Selina returned her smile to the airport official, who flushed under her seductive gaze. She said something to him and the man nodded and replied with something that sounded like a number.

Selina whispered something in Bruce's ear to which he nodded and they were whisked off to sign paperwork for the boarding of their plane in an empty hangar at Peretola Airport.

The two of them took care of the paperwork, which Bruce signed as Marcel Clement to match the passport that Selina had for him as well as a driver's license and credit card that he produced from his wallet. He had chosen the name and Selina smiled inwardly, and outwardly, every time she heard it. They also rented a vehicle, some terribly expensive and sporty little thing that was going to be fun to drive.

Bruce saw the look on her face when the car was produced for them and he knew she was going to have to drive it.

He handed the keys to her and she practically squealed in delight. It was nice to see that she'd forgotten her worries from earlier, at least temporarily. She climbed in and waited for Bruce to join her. Once inside, she turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine.

"You have a taste for expensive cars," Bruce said as they started to zoom down a road in the Tuscan countryside. He remembered her stealing his Lamborghini months ago.

She ignored his comment and continued driving.

"Where are we going to stay?" she asked. She looked over at him and his eyes were closed as he leaned his head against the headrest in the car.

He didn't open his eyes. Bruce was feeling the exhaustion set in and was grateful that Selina was driving.

"Just keep driving toward Florence. Stop at whatever hotel you like," he said tiredly.

That wasn't much help, but it did mean that he trusted her. She didn't even know if she trusted herself that much.

Selina kept driving and after a while, she brought the car over a hill and then she saw it. The city of Florence was possibly one of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen. It was cobblestone streets and Renaissance architecture. She could see the dome of the Florence cathedral against the bright blue sky and was finding it very hard to fathom that this was going to be home for a while.

After several minutes of panicked driving through the city later, Selina had stopped in front of a hotel that was situated right on the Arno River. The Villa La Massa, she read on the sign. It was beautiful; she hoped there was an available room.

Bruce didn't wake up when she stopped the car, so she gently shook his arm. That didn't wake him either. Remembering him passed out on her floor and semi-unconscious in the shower, she panicked a little, but she reached over to kiss him on the cheek. That seemed to do the trick and he opened his eyes with a smile on his lips.

"Sleeping beauty, I've found us a place to stay," she laughed. It was a real, open-mouthed deep laugh that Bruce just couldn't resist.

He turned towards her and kissed her as hard as he could despite the confines of the car.

"What _were you_ dreaming about?" she asked seductively as suddenly the doorman opened Bruce's door. It was hard to tell who was more shocked to see whom; the valet didn't expect a man in the passenger seat and they didn't see the valet coming.

Selina waited for a response as she opened her own door and climbed out while Bruce did the same on the opposite side of the car.

"You don't want to know," he growled in her ear as he joined her on the driver's side of the car.

Smirking, Bruce grabbed their bags from the trunk of the car and Selina tipped the valet driver with what little cash she had left on her.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Selina said as they walked into the lobby of the hotel. It was a beautiful domed space with rounded arches on all three stories of the space. There was antique furniture arranged around the area and there was a check-in desk at the far back wall.

"Go ahead and look around," Bruce said. "I'll see if they have a room available."

"What if they don't speak English, Mr. Clement?" she asked.

"I think I'll be able to find you," he replied. "But don't take anything," he added as he caught her admiring a rather expensive looking vase on one of the sideboard tables.

Selina looked mock-offended. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She squeezed his hand and he walked towards the check-in desk.

Only seconds later, Bruce was back at her elbow and was steering her toward a young man dressed in a bellboy's uniform.

"They only have one room left," Bruce said.

"What your husband tells you is true, but I think you'll both be able to enjoy your honeymoon in this particular room," the bellboy said with a wink.

Selina looked at Bruce in disbelief and he just shrugged back at her, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

They continued to follow the bellboy up several flights of stairs and around corridors.

"The hotel was built as an estate owned by the Medici family. It was built in the 16th century and is situated on 22 acres of gardens and groves. We actually use the food we grow in our restaurant, Il Verrocchio, which I do suggest you try while you're here staying with us," the bellboy explained as he led them through the one-time palace.

Without warning, he stopped and produced a key and smiled a wicked grin at the would-be honeymooners.

"I think you'll enjoy your stay," he said with his thick Italian accent. "Please get situated and congratulations on your union. If you need anything at all, dial star three-three."

He winked again and handed Bruce the keys before closing the door behind him.

Selina was absolutely stunned by how beautiful and how large the space was. They were standing in a living room that was bigger than Selina's last apartment. There were French doors that led out to a terrace that was set with a table and chairs. She set her bag down and continued into the next room: a full kitchen. The bedroom was at the back of the suite and had a queen-sized four poster bed that had to be antique. The bathroom was done in all white marble and also had doors that opened onto the terrace.

This was the nicest place that Selina had ever set foot in and she'd been in a lot of expensive places.

She turned around to call Bruce as she opened the doors onto the terrace from the bathroom and found him right behind her.

"Do you think this will be all right?" he asked.

"I think we can make it work," Selina replied.

Bruce pulled her into his arms on the terrace under the sunny Italian sky and looked down into her eyes. They'd both been through a lot, there was no doubting that, but Bruce knew that he'd felt better than he'd had in a very long time. He kept thinking that before, but now, standing with Selina, it felt real.

"So…" Selina said, breaking the silence. "I'm your wife?"

"Uh-huh," Bruce said, not breaking their eye contact.

"You should be so lucky," she winked before kissing him.

A/N: So…there was the newest chapter! What did you think? Let me know! Lol.

A few things I need to mention…the hotel…is a real place in Florence, Italy. You can really stay there. The facts I mentioned about it are real, and I am merely borrowing it for the sake of my story. It's beautiful, by the way.

Also, I failed to mention before, when I was writing Edward Nigma…the Riddler…I wasn't exactly thinking Jim Carrey. I was actually thinking Matt Bomer. He's good-looking, intelligent and has that little bit of an edge (you know, because he plays a terribly smart reformed criminal on White Collar).

I think that's everything. Okay, leave me a review!

And thanks to you all who have read and to those who have taken the time to review. It means a lot!


	10. Chapter 10

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 10

The sun was streaming into the bedroom of the hotel suite and Bruce silently cursed the bright light that dared disrupt the sleep he was finally getting. He rolled over, with every intention of curling around Selina, but found nothing but cold sheets. He was starting to grow tired of that little move already. The clock said it was only seven a.m. It was definitely too early.

Bruce flipped back on his back and stared at the ceiling. Should he close his eyes and go back to sleep or get up and find Selina? He didn't think for much longer; the comfort of the bed and his sleepiness won out and he fell back asleep.

Selina had awoken about five thirty. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but after rehashing the details of her encounters with the Joker, an uneasy feeling had settled in her gut and wasn't going away. She decided to go for a run to try and clear her mind; she wasn't sure it was going to work, but she was sure as hell going to try.

She needed the exercise anyway. The two of them had sacked out on the four poster bed the night before with gigantic bowls of creamy pasta dishes and a bottle of wine, although, she was sure she was the only one drinking it. She had felt sluggish after she'd eaten all of her pasta and a few bites of Bruce's as well as apparently drinking the entire bottle of wine. So it was entirely possible that part of the feeling in her gut was the residual feeling effects of a wine hangover and food coma. Regardless of the origin, she needed to move, to exercise the heavy feeling in her stomach away.

It was already sunny and warm as she emerged from the hotel. It was barely after six as she jogged through the lobby. She'd gotten smiles and stares from the hotel's staff as well as her fellow guests as she walked through. Selina supposed they'd all heard she was a 'newlywed'. It dawned on her, rather late actually, why they were looking to her _so_ expectantly. They were looking for rings and Selina had no rings on. She actually wasn't wearing any jewelry at all. How could they have overlooked that? She nodded and smiled at them as she exited and hurried as quickly as she could without looking like she was running away from them and their prying eyes.

Why were these strangers so nosy? Selina definitely didn't like that.

Outside the hotel, Selina looked around and read some of the sign. Finding the one she needed, she started jogging toward the running path.

The winding path took her through a scenic forested area and then along the river in the morning sunshine. There were some old men out fishing that gave her some long appreciative gazes, and some whistles, as they took in her lithe form as she raced by.

And when she finally turned around and ran back to the hotel, she was sweaty and gross and no one gave her a second glance as she strolled back into the lobby and up the stairs to the suite she was sharing with her "husband".

She let herself back in to their room, using her skills to do so without a sound. If Bruce was still sleeping, she wanted to let him continue to do so.

Selina headed straight for the bathroom and peered through that doorway into the bedroom. Bruce was still asleep in the bed, a peaceful look on his face.

"It's about time," Selina whispered out-loud.

She smiled and closed the bathroom door.

Selina looked at herself in the mirror over the sink. Her skin was flushed and her dark hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat. She was gross; no wonder no one stopped her on the way back into the hotel. It wasn't a look she thought she'd keep permanently. However, she did feel better.

She walked over to the enormous white claw-foot bathtub next to the windows and turned on the faucets, admiring the craftsmanship and luxuriousness of the bathroom fixtures.

While waiting for the giant tub to fill, she went out on to the terrace. Italy was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. She'd seen pictures in books, but simple photographs couldn't do the city of Florence justice. The hills, the gardens, the river and even the city and its centuries old buildings were almost too much to appreciate all at once. It was overwhelming and she didn't deserve this. She'd never done anything in her life to be rewarded with this. And she certainly didn't deserve to be with Bruce Wayne. Bruce deserved something, someone, better than her. Selina made up her mind, there and then, that she'd make sure that Bruce was well again, in good shape and healthy, and then she'd let him enjoy the rest of his life, without her.

She left the doors to the terrace open, enjoying the breeze that was blowing through the room and peeled off her running clothes. Selina left them in a pile on the floor and climbed into the hot water. She wasn't the biggest fan of baths, but Selina had always had a fantasy of taking a bath in a claw-footed tub. Sinking into the hot water, she tried to let herself relax.

Bruce woke up again, still alone.

"Where the hell is she?" he found himself saying out loud.

Bruce looked over at the clock. It was now after nine. He figured he should be awake and functioning, despite the fact that he felt like he could sleep for another twelve hours and still not be fully rested. And this bed was too damn comfortable.

He stood from the bed and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm it. Bruce ignored the pain and stiffness in his knee and back as he walked through the bedroom to the living area. He figured he'd find Selina in there reading, but the living room was empty, too. He looked over to the terrace and found the doors standing open.

Bruce walked out onto the terrace. It was a beautiful morning. He wished he was standing there with Selina, enjoying the sun and the cityscape. But she wasn't there either.

He was about to start worrying when he noticed that the door from the bathroom to the terrace was standing open. He took a few steps towards the doorway and saw Selina relaxing in the bathtub with a very serene look on her face. Bruce almost didn't want to disturb her. But nature was calling.

Bruce walked the rest of the way into the bathroom and was as quiet as he could be. He was happy that there was a separate room within the bathroom.

It wasn't until he was standing at the sink furthest from her and washing his hands that Selina's eyes opened and looked at him.

"Good morning," Selina said from the bathtub.

"I didn't meant to disturb you," he said softly.

Selina moved over to the side of the tub and rested her chin on the tub's edge.

"I didn't mean to doze off," she smiled.

She took in Bruce's form, admiring it, committing it to memory the best she could. He way he smiled at her almost made her forget her promise to herself. Bruce stood at the vanity, now leaning his hip on it, facing her. He was only wearing his boxers, allowing all of his fading bruises and healing cuts to be seen. The stitches she'd sewn into his side were healing well, but Selina made a mental note to convince him to see an actual doctor to have them removed.

"Where were you this morning?" Bruce asked.

"I had a lot on my mind," Selina replied. "I went for a run."

A surprised look crossed Bruce's features momentarily. Just a flicker, but Selina saw it.

"A run?"

"I do prefer dance for exercise, but believe me, I don't fit in that leather suit by sitting on my butt all day and night," Selina replied dryly.

"I'd like to see you dance," Bruce replied.

"Not going to happen, Mr. Wayne," Selina grinned.

"I'll bet I can make you change your mind," Bruce replied. "I can be very persuasive, _Mrs. Wayne."_

"That is something I am very sure of," Selina said. Being called 'Mrs. Wayne' sure felt good, but she shouldn't let it affect her.

_Stick to the plan,_ Selina told herself.

A very loud knock on their hotel room door brought them out of their flirting.

"I'll go," Bruce said. "Although it would be nice to watch you answer the door like that."

"Maybe later," she smiled. "Quit staring at me and go answer the door."

Bruce smiled at her once more and exited the bathroom. Selina took her minute of alone time and started draining the bathtub and climbing out to dry off. Wrapped in a towel, Selina walked out into the living room area.

Bruce was standing and speaking with a bellboy at the door. Both men stopped talking when Selina entered into the room.

"Hi," Selina said.

Bruce felt the hard pang of jealousy as the bellboy took all of Selina's almost naked form in.

"Our friend here just wanted to let us know that there is a communal breakfast in about an hour," Bruce said, moving to put a possessive arm around Selina's shoulders and pulling her close to him.

"Yes, ma'am. We encourage all of the guests to join us," the young man said with a thick Italian accent.

"It's in about an hour?" Selina asked. "We should be done by then," she purred.

The bellboy, and if she was correct, and Bruce as well, blushed a pink color.

"We'll see you downstairs, then," the bellboy said and excused himself.

Bruce shut the door and turned to face Selina.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Selina replied.

It was an argument neither one of them wanted to have at that particular moment. Although, having it, they would be more like newlyweds.

"Is that a newspaper?" Selina asked, looking at the rolled paper under Bruce's opposite arm.

"It is," Bruce replied. "I don't know if it's international or not, though."

"Let's see," Selina said as she slid it out from under Bruce's arm.

She took the paper to the coffee table and unrolled it.

"It's not international, but you should probably see the front page," Selina said.

Bruce kept his eyes on her as he crossed the room and stood next to his 'wife'.

The center image was a black and white photograph of a Batman statue.

"It was put in place yesterday, in Gotham's City Hall," Selina read. "But that's not all," she said, pointing to a smaller photograph, near the bottom of the page.

It was a very small, yet highly detailed picture of Bruce himself.

"What does it say?" he asked Selina quietly.

"It's a funeral announcement," she replied, equally as quietly. "Why is it in the Italian newspaper?"

"I don't know, but it's going to make breakfast interesting."

A/N: I know, short and all and no action, but yesterday was my birthday and I am feeling kind of lazy. Please review. And thank you for those that reviewed the last chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 11

"You don't think this is going to put a hitch in our breakfast plans?" Selina asked. "Good picture though."

Bruce rolled his eyes.

"I think we should go to breakfast anyway. I'm hungry," Bruce replied. "And that picture is about ten years old. We..._you…_can just tell them that it isn't me, if they even ask."

Selina's face contorted in mock-revulsion. "You want me to _lie_?" Selina asked, barely able to controlling her giggling.

"I love that sound," Bruce said randomly.

"What sound?" Selina asked, suddenly quiet.

"A real laugh from you," Bruce said.

His words hit her and instantly melted her heart. Selina moved to Bruce and put her arms around his neck bringing his lips down to hers. Bruce's hands fisted in the thick white towel that was wrapped around Selina, but he wanted the terrycloth barrier gone. He tugged on it as he deepened the kiss and it fell to the floor at their feet.

"You've got me naked again, Wayne," Selina said softly in his ear.

"In my defense, you didn't put up much of a fight," he replied softly. "The bed. Now," he added, his voice changing to the darker Batman growl.

"What about breakfast?" Selina asked breathlessly. The change in his voice caused her body to break out in goose bumps that she couldn't even attempt to hide in her current unclothed state.

He knew what his Batman voice did to her. He was well-aware of the way it affected her and he liked it.

"We've got time," he growled. "Bed. Now," he repeated.

Selina looked up into his eyes. They had gone completely dark with want again. He wanted _her_.

She wasn't about to make the Batman angry, so she reluctantly removed her arms from around his neck and took his hand instead. Selina led him to the bedroom.

…

An hour and a half later, Selina and Bruce were rushing down to whatever was left of the hotel's breakfast, grinning like a pair of teenagers.

Bruce had Selina's hand firmly in his own. It felt right and he had the incredible urge to never let her go, even for a moment.

The lobby had three large tables set out, and they were full of people. However, there were two chairs open and they headed straight for them.

Bruce pulled one of the two chairs out for Selina, but she wasn't paying attention. Selina was observing the other guests with extreme caution.

She'd operated the last 20-odd years or so without trusting anyone but herself, especially when walking into crowded rooms. Selina needed to make eye contact with everyone in the room, so she could determine her safety, as well as that of Bruce's.

"Mr. and Mrs. Clément!" a woman's voice behind them shouted happily. "We were beginning to think that you weren't coming," the woman said.

The other guests that hadn't bothered to turn and look at them were now eyeing them curiously. They were trying to determine who the fuss was being made over.

Was this going to be the part where the others figured out that he was really Bruce Wayne?

"I just couldn't keep my hands off of her," Bruce said off-handedly, like it wasn't a big deal.

But it _was _a big deal. Selina's eyes went wide with embarrassment and she felt a warm blush through her cheeks. Did he really just say that? She took her seat and willed her face to go back to its normal color.

But the other people in the room didn't seem to be paying any attention anyway. Selina was grateful for that fact and turned her attention back to Bruce and the woman that was speaking to them.

"We love having newlyweds here," the woman said. Bruce's statement only seemed to make her more excited to have the two of them there. "It makes everyone's stay more romantic. My name is Antonia. My family owns the hotel and the grounds. I run the day to day operations."

Selina surveyed the woman who was beaming excitedly at the two of them. She was a bit shorter than Selina with a few added curves that she wore well. She had olive skin and the greenest eyes Selina had ever seen. Antonia had to be older than Selina, but she definitely didn't look it.

She decided the woman wasn't a threat and Selina smiled back warmly at her as Bruce shook the woman's extended hand.

"Thank you for inviting us for breakfast," Bruce said.

"Of course! Of course!" Antonia cried. "If you don't mind my prying, how long have you been married?"

Bruce took his seat and looked over to Selina. He was going to let her take the lead on this one.

"About a month," she smiled, taking Bruce's hand in her own. "He just couldn't tear himself away from his work until now," she finished. It might have been a lie about a wedding, but her statement couldn't have been more truthful.

"I certainly had a few things that needed to be taken care of before I could completely relax on a vacation," Bruce added.

"What do you do, Mr. Clément?" Antonia asked.

Bruce wondered when that question would be asked. Since they had to verify the credit card he'd used, they'd see the limit was ridiculously high. It was only natural that they would want to know what line of work he was in.

"He's a Public Defender," Selina replied, putting a hand on his arm and stroking it gently. "He's always trying to help those that can't help themselves."

"That's very admirable, Mr. Clément."

"He's my dark knight in shining armor," Selina said affectionately.

"_Dark knight?"_ Antonia asked, questioning the nickname.

"Well, that's just between him and I," Selina replied smiling seductively at Bruce.

He tried to hide his own smile. He was smiling so much these last couple of days. It wasn't like him to smile this much; in fact, he couldn't remember if he'd ever smiled like this before in his life. It was so…out of character for Bruce Wayne. But he kind of liked the feeling.

"Well, I will let the two of you enjoy your breakfast," Antonia said. "We're so happy to have you both here. If you ever need anything, please just let any one of us know. We want to make your stay here magical."

"Thank you," Selina smiled. "That's very kind of you."

The woman stepped away from them, heading toward another table to speak with some other guests.

As soon as Antonia walked away, Bruce leaned down to whisper in Selina's ear.

"Dark knight?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Isn't that what they call you?" Selina asked in an equally quiet tone.

"Yes," Bruce replied. "But I've always preferred 'Caped Crusader'," he finished dryly.

Selina couldn't tell if he was serious about the nickname. She knew she was playing with fire by even referencing Batman nicknames, but she couldn't resist. Selina hadn't made it this far in life by always playing it close to the cuff.

"Remind me to ask you about that later," Selina said.

"What?" Bruce asked, reaching for a bowl full of scrambled eggs at the center of the table.

Selina leaned in close to Bruce. "The cape," she tried to say as non-chalantly as possible.

Bruce nodded in response.

"So, what are you going to eat for breakfast?" Bruce said, changing the subject. "They seem to have a little of everything."

"I am not terribly hungry," Selina replied. "Maybe just some orange juice."

"You need to eat," Bruce said. "At least some toast or something."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're bossy?" Selina asked.

"I'm not bossy; I just prefer my way of doing things," Bruce replied coolly.

Selina smiled. "I think I knew that," she replied.

"Eat some breakfast," Bruce said back as he passed her a bowl of fruit. "And then we can go sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?" Selina repeated. "Now that's something I'd like to see. You, sightseeing."

Selina scooped some food on her plate and she and Bruce started to eat, making polite conversation with the people at their table.

As they started to leave the lobby to return to their room, an older couple stopped them.

"Congratulations!" she said. She had an English accent and despite her merry tone, she was eyeing Bruce suspiciously.

"Thank you," Selina replied. But the woman didn't walk away from them. "Is there something else?" Selina asked.

"You just look remarkably like that fellow I saw in the newspaper this morning," the woman said. "Richard, doesn't he look like that man?"

Selina and Bruce remained still, bracing themselves for what was coming next.

The husband, Richard, turned toward them, zeroing in on the conversation that his wife was having.

"Which man?" Richard asked.

"You know, that American fellow, the rich one," the woman said.

"Oh, Bruce Wayne," the man answered for her. "No, he doesn't look at all like that man. Quit bothering him and let them enjoy their vacation, Hyacinth."

The woman, apparently named Hyacinth, pouted at her husband.

"Have a good day," Richard said and dragged his wife off by her elbow. The wife followed along, grudgingly, but kept staring at Bruce on her way out.

Selina turned to look at Bruce, who blew out a sigh of relief.

"So, sightseeing?" he asked into her ear.

Selina nodded. Relaxing and being a tourist in Florence sounded like the perfect day.

… … … … …

"I'm sorry, I can't find any information on her anywhere," Eddie said.

The Joker paced back and forth behind him as Edward Nigma continued to type information into the computer. He wasn't having any luck locating the woman that the Joker was after.

"That's not good enough, Nig-ma," the Joker replied.

Eddie was nervous. He was good at what he did; he was a computer genius actually, but if there wasn't any information about someone, then there wasn't information.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" the Joker asked.

"Well, uh," Eddie started nervously. "It's possible that they didn't want anyone to be able to find her location," he finished. "Harley Quinn isn't showing up in _any_ of the databases. Does she go by any other name?"

"Harleen Quinzel," he replied with a sour look on his face. He wasn't the biggest fan of her 'real' name.

"Now that is a different story," Eddie said after running a few more searches. "Harleen Quinzel, resident in a mental facility in Chicago, Illinois."

The Joker grinned maniacally, the painted scars adding to the dramatic effect.

"I guess my next stop is going to be Chicago, but not before I cause a little…_chaos_…here in Gotham."

"Gotham is still trying to rebuild after Bane…" Eddie began.

The Joker rounded on Eddie.

"That over-muscled idiot was a nice appetizer for Gotham, but wait 'til they get a taste of the main course," the Joker aid, putting a purple-gloved hand on Nigma's shoulder. "I do admire the work he started, but he still wasn't able to bring down the Batman."

"Batman's dead," Nigma said. "That's why they built that stupid statue at City Hall."

"That's why I'm the brains of this operation, Nigma. There's no way that the Batman is dead. He's just waiting to come back."

"How can you be _so_ sure?" Nigma asked.

"How can you be _so_ stupid?" the Joker said, slamming his fist onto the computer desk, causing Edward Nigma to jump. His hands went back to Eddie's shoulders and then suddenly there was a knife pressed against his throat. "If you don't stop trying to protect the woman, you're going to be next on my list. I _know_ the Batman isn't dead because the Cat ran off with him. That was your friend in the shadows that night, Nigma, you idiot. There just needs to be enough havoc to draw the Batman back to Gotham. And the Cat will follow along," the Joker said.

He pulled his knife away from Eddie's throat and he slumped forward towards the computer.

"Step one starts tonight," the Joker said, smiling menacingly at Eddie.

… … … … …

It was late in the afternoon when Bruce found the tiny café for the two of them to relax at. They had walked miles of Florence and seen the things they'd only ever read about. Bruce carefully picked a table, and had Selina face the river. The Arno was a very beautiful river, so it wasn't difficult to talk Selina into it.

Expectantly, Bruce waited. He chatted with Selina, waiting for something, but for what he wasn't sure. Selina finished her glass of wine while Bruce got comfortable in his café chair.

"Do you think we should go back to the hotel?" Selina asked after an amiable silence. It had been almost an hour of sitting at the café and truthfully, she was tired after their day.

Bruce was startled out of his thoughts. He wasn't sure that this was the place he'd been looking for, but it was the only one he could picture it happening at. Perhaps he just hadn't been able to get away yet. They would just have to keep coming back.

"Yes," he said, standing up. "Let's go back to the hotel. You look like you could use a nap."

"Oh, no. Not until after you tell me how many times you've stepped on your cape in the middle of a fight," Selina said as he took her hand.

Bruce smiled. She'd effectively gotten his mind off of things, yet again.

"Well, there was this one time…" he began as they started walking back towards their hotel.

…

A/N: Okay, what did you think? Please let me know!

Thanks in advance and thank you to those who read and reviewed. It's much appreciated.


	12. Chapter 12

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 12

Selina Kyle was standing at the window, admiring the view the city. There was a beautiful orange and pink sky before her. She sensed movement behind her and she assumed it was Bruce.

"You should really come over here, Bruce. The sunset is beautiful," she said without turning back.

"_Brrrucey_ won't be enjoying any more sunsets," a surprising voice told her.

Selina spun around quickly. There, standing before her, was the only person she never hoped she'd ever see again. How could this be happening?

"What are you doing here?" Selina asked as calmly as possible.

"Did you really think you could run away? From your past? From me?" he asked her in return.

His smiling face was deceiving. Selina knew he was only there for one reason.

"How did you find me?" Selina asked, trying to hide the pure terror she felt looking into this man's blank eyes.

"You know, Miss Kyle, you aren't nearly as devious as you think you are," the Joker said, backing her towards the wall. "You owe me," he said, brandishing his favorite knife. It glinted in the light of the setting sun.

"Where's Bruce?" Selina demanded.

The Joker shrugged. "If _that's_ the last sight you want to see, please be my guest," he said, holding out his arm to point her in the direction of her request.

Selina pushed past him boldly and walked further into the hotel room. Bruce lay broken on the floor of their hotel room. He was motionless and his body was contorted in a position that she'd only seen once before. Blood was everywhere. Selina screamed and suddenly there were arms wrapped around her.

"It's _your_ turn, beautiful," the Joker hissed in her ear from behind.

She struggled against him, throwing her arms out in an attempt to get him off of her, but she couldn't break free. She squeezed her eyes closed. This couldn't be happening.

"Selina," a calm voice said into her ear. "Selina," it said again.

She forced her eyes open and it was Bruce Wayne that was staring back at her. She could see concern marring his handsome features in the darkness of their room.

"Holy shit," Selina hissed as she realized it was just a dream. Her heart was pounding and her skin was damp with sweat.

Bruce reached over and turned on the light on the nightstand.

"Are you okay?" he asked turning back to her. It took a second, but then it registered that Bruce was rubbing is jaw as he spoke.

"Selina, are you okay?" Bruce asked again, attempting to focus her.

"I'm fine, I think. What…?" she pointed to his chin.

"You socked me in the jaw," he smiled slightly. "I hope you won in your dream."

"I didn't," Selina said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I punched you in the jaw?" Selina asked, suddenly feeling the pain in her knuckles. She flexed her hand.

"You have a pretty decent left hook, Miss Kyle," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "And you did not answer me."

"No, I do not want to talk to you about my dream…" Selina said firmly.

"Please?" Bruce pled with her. He knew what she had been dreaming about. She'd been talking, actually screaming, in her sleep. But he wanted to know if she trusted him.

Selina leaned toward Bruce and put her head on his shoulder. She needed to feel him. She needed to know it wasn't just another dream.

"The Joker was here. And…you were…dead," Selina replied quietly.

What Selina said didn't really shock him. He'd had plenty of nightmares before. Nightmares that included the people he cared about dying or dead. But Bruce had never really had to be the comforting person. Everyone else had always looked at him with sympathetic eyes and offered what they thought were words that would make him feel better. But now it was different. He actually had someone that he felt like he could be that person for. Bruce at least had to try.

Without a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Selina and held her close to him.

"He's not here and I'm very much alive," Bruce murmured into her hair. "He's in Arkham and he has no chance of getting out."

Truthfully, it was kind of a relief to not be the emotional one. And it was refreshing to see that Selina was starting to feel comfortable enough with him. Sure they'd already gotten to know each other in slightly more _carnal_ terms and Bruce was glad to see, _and feel_, an emotional bond strengthening between them.

"What time is it?" Selina asked.

"Three thirty, almost," Bruce said after glancing at the clock.

"You should go back to sleep," Selina replied. She moved to climb out of the bed, but Bruce held on to her tighter.

"It's late, Bruce. You should get some sleep. I'm just going to get something to drink and I'll be back in a bit."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"About needing something to drink?" Selina said, her characteristic sarcastic tone beginning to return. "I can find the refrigerator, Mr. Wayne," she said before kissing him sweetly on the jaw that she had punched minutes earlier and he released his grip on her.

She rose from the bed and turned off the light on her way to the door.

"Just…"

"What, Bruce?" she said from the dark doorway.

He could make out the tense way she was holding her body and from her tone when she said his name that she needed to be alone.

"If you need anything, just come get me, okay?" he said.

"Okay," Selina replied.

Bruce lay back down on the bed, pulling the blankets back up around him. He listened to her bare feet padding through the hallways and living area as she set off for the kitchen. There was no way he was going to be able to fall back asleep. Not with her as anxious as she was and certainly not without her there next to him in the bed.

Selina passed through the living room. She stopped in the kitchen but retreated immediately. She wasn't really thirsty; she needed some air. She continued back out to the living room and opened the door to the terrace. Selina instantly thought of her dream and that caused a knot to form in her stomach.

Up until tonight, Selina had been having the best three weeks of her entire life. They'd been visiting all of the major sights in Florence. Her favorites were the Florence Cathedral and the Baptistery building in front of it with its doors the _Gates of Paradise_ created by the artist, Lorenzo Ghiberti. The city of Florence was considered the "Birthplace of the Renaissance" and it was full of art. There was always something to do and there was always something to see.

And the two of them had fallen into a routine of sorts. They would wake early, before the full heat of the day hit, to go for a run. Bruce needed to get his knee in full working order and running was going to be his physical therapy. Well, a portion of his physical therapy; they had been doing other things to keep each other in shape.

They'd go sightseeing in the afternoons, venturing to a new location each day and sometimes just relaxing in each other's company. And every day, they would go to the same café down by the river to enjoy the Italian sunshine and some of the local wine. Bruce always seemed to be waiting for something, but he wouldn't explain it to her.

Everything that had been happening was keeping Selina's mind off of the negative feelings that usually enveloped her. Things just seemed better each passing day she spent with Bruce and Selina was starting to rethink her plan of leaving him. He was more relaxed now; but that could be attributed to not having to guard an entire city any more. And he was laughing. It was a sound foreign to the both of them, but Selina was starting to love the sound.

She stepped onto the terrace, into the dark night. The stone floor was cold on her bare feet but she stood out there anyway. It was a clear night and the sky was filled with stars, despite there being no moon. A slight breeze was blowing and it made goose bumps appear on her bare flesh. Her sleep shorts and tank top pajamas weren't exactly meant for chilly nights alone on a balcony.

Selina needed to think about her life. The only really great things that have happened in her life had happened in the last month and a half. And they were only because of Bruce Wayne.

Would she ever really want to leave that man behind? The real question, _could_ she ever really leave him behind?

Selina shook her head. The answer was a resounding _no._

_What has he done to her?_

Despite the feeling that she still had in the pit of her stomach, she smiled. She had fallen for the man that was now sleeping in their bed.

"Shit," Selina hissed into the night sky as she leaned on the railing. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"You're just out here swearing?" Bruce smirked from the terrace doorway.

Selina turned around and looked at the man. He was just wearing boxers and running a hand through his bed-head hair.

"I thought you were going back to sleep," Selina said.

"I thought you were going to get a drink and come back to bed yourself."

"I needed to think," Selina said, moving towards him.

"Oh?" he said, his brow furrowing with concern.

"Can I be honest with you?" Selina asked.

"I would appreciate it, actually," Bruce replied dryly.

"My plan, since day one, has been to make sure you were okay and then leave," she said.

"I know," he said.

"_You know?"_ Selina replied. "What does that mean?"

"I know you better than you think I do," he said quietly.

His statement frustrated her, but she continued on anyway.

"But…" Selina started.

Bruce stepped forward to close the space between them.

"But…" he said, repeating her words.

"I don't want to go," Selina said, looking down to her bare feet.

"I don't want you to go either," he said. "So, I don't think you're going," he smiled at her.

"I don't think I am," Selina replied.

It felt incredible to be wrapped in Bruce's arms. She felt safe and she felt happy.

"I'm happy, for the first time in a long time, Selina," he said into her ear. "I've spent a long time being unhappy."

"I know," she said. "How's your jaw?" Selina smiled.

"I've been hit harder," Bruce replied, returning her smile.

"I can try again," Selina said.

"Let's go back to bed," Bruce said.

"Yeah, the old man needs his sleep…"

Bruce tried to hide his smile. "Selina," he growled.

It was that easy. They were going to try. The two of them were a real pair.

Bruce took her hand and led her inside the hotel suite. Selina pulled the door closed behind her and they retreated to the bedroom.

… … … … …

He didn't care that he made the news. He'd been in the news before and he didn't really care one way or another.

He laughed as he read the article.

"…_The man, known only as _The Joker_ should be considered armed and dangerous. Nine years ago, he was captured with the assistance of _the Batman_, who recently saved the entire city of Gotham from a nuclear bomb._

The Joker_ is believed to be behind the string of murders in Chicago as well as the break in at _Chaplin Psychiatric Center_. The break in resulted in the deaths of six staff members and four members of the Chicago Police Department as well as the break-out of one of the patients, Harleen Quinzel._

_Currently, it is thought that _The Joker_ is on the run with Quinzel, although it is not known what their plans are…"_

"I should have gotten credit for at least one dead body," she said after he finished reading the article out loud.

"Oh, I've missed you, Harley," he said. "Get out here," the Joker said.

The blonde woman emerged from a door at the back of the compact room they were in. Her hair was teased into pigtails and her face was covered in greasepaint to match that of the Joker.

"That's crap," she said, grinning. "But _I_ have missed _you."_

"You would have just loved what I did with Gotham a couple years ago," he said.

"I'm sure the Batman did," Harley replied. "Where are we headed? And how did you get this plane?"

The Joker's eyes widened in response to her question. "How do I get anything that I end up with?" he asked, pulling out a knife to illustrate his point. "I had that idiot Nigma dig up some information. Ya see, Wayne's got all of Gotham believing he's dead, but I didn't believe it for a second. Anyway, Nigma said that Wayne's old butler is headed to Italy. So, we're headed to Italy, too."

"You think Bruce Wayne is still alive? After they declared him dead?" Harley asked.

"More interestingly, Nigma made passports for both Selina Kyle and a mystery individual. He didn't ever see a picture of the man, but why would she need to have a passport made without a picture in it?" the Joker asked.

"So you're assuming that means it _is_ Bruce Wayne that she's travelling with. Bruce Wayne would be slumming it with the gutter rat that is Selina Kyle."

The Joker shook his head in her direction. "What the hell did they do to you in there?" he asked. "I _need_ the old Harley to come out completely. Unleash her, baby. Start thinking about how much fun it's going to be to skin The Cat."

She leaned over and kissed the Joker on his painted face.

"Just wait until Europe gets a hold of us," she smiled an eerily similar smile to that of her lover's.

"That's my girl," he smiled delvlfishily.

... … … … …

The following morning, Selina awoke feeling much better than she had the night before. She was alone in the bed, but she could feel Bruce's present in the hotel room.

As if answering her silent question, Bruce stepped back into the room, a mug in one hand and a tablet computer in another.

"Feeling better this morning?" he asked, as he watched Selina stretch the kinks out of her body.

"Yes," Selina replied. "A lot. Thank you. What are you doing up so early?"

"If you get cleaned up, we can go see why I am awake so early," Bruce smiled as he set the mug and the tablet down on the nightstand.

"Now I'm curious," Selina said back to him.

"I would expect nothing less from you," he replied. "Come on, get up," he said, tossing a throw pillow at her.

Selina narrowed her eyes at him and launched the offending pillow back at him and he caught it deftly without any effort at all.

"We need to work on your throwing skills," he said dryly. "Get up, Selina. I'm not going to ask you again."

"Good," she said, laying back down on the pillows.

"Suit yourself," he said. Bruce pulled back the covers, exposing her to the chill of the morning.

"Hey!" Selina shouted.

Bruce reached down and scooped her up over his shoulder. She squealed in a mixture of surprise and anger. Selina wasn't sure she'd ever made that sound before.

She fought him slightly as he walked her to the bathroom and turned the shower on with Selina still over his shoulder.

"Take a shower, and then I'll take you to see the house I bought," he said, setting her down in the bathroom. His tone remained flat, giving none of the actual excitement that he felt away.

Selina stared at him dumbfounded. What? House?

"You bought a house? When?" Selina asked as he walked out of the bathroom.

"This morning," he called back to her as he left the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

… … … … …

A/N: Okay, so that was my newest update. What did you all think? As always, I would like to thank everyone who has clicked on this story to read even a single chapter. It means a lot to me! And thank you to those of you who have chosen to review and send me an opinion/critique/review/etc. That also means a ton!

I'd also like to address a review I received:

In regards to the review asking about the Joker in all of the post-TDKR stories…I haven't been reading a whole lot of other Bat/Cat stories so I don't confuse myself. I am trying to stay as true as possible to my plotline and unfortunately, I had planned to use the Joker all along. I hope that's not considered rude of me, I mean it only as an explanation.


	13. Chapter 13: Part One

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 13: Part One

Selina watched as the Italian countryside whizzed past them through the car window. As it had been the previous days, it was sunny and warm already, even so early in the day. She had gotten showered and dressed in record time and Bruce was all-too happy to take her to see what he'd bought. He knew the anticipation was killing her.

Bruce honestly didn't intend to buy a house that particular morning. Bruce hadn't been able to get back to sleep after the talk that he'd had with Selina on the terrace. He'd stayed with her until he was sure that she went asleep and then he'd gotten up to think and to pace. And when the thinking and the pacing got to be too much, he sat down and started flipping through websites and watching the Florentine morning begin. Bruce randomly ended up on the real estate website and he randomly found the house that he'd put a down payment on.

The feeling he had in just gut now was familiar one, albeit a distant one. He tried to place it. It was like the last Christmas morning he spent with his parents. Bruce definitely liked it.

But now, driving in the car towards the property, the excitement was turning more to anxiousness. The reality of the situation was that he had wanted to wait to make things more permanent with Selina. He'd wanted to have an actual discussion that didn't end up in either sex or an argument, or both. He smiled at the memory of that particular evening. None of that bothered him at all, but they were adults and they needed to be a little responsible, right? He shook his head to focus himself before he drew any attention from his travelling companion. He didn't want to have to explain that particular smile and the not-so innocent thoughts that were running through his head.

Selina hadn't said anything since she had left the bathroom that morning. He wasn't quite sure what to say to her and she wasn't even looking in his direction. It took him an hour before he decided to break their tense silence.

"You are being uncharacteristically quiet," he said.

Selina turned from the window to look at him.

"That is because I am trying to come up with the most appropriate names to call you and which order I would like to say them in," Selina hissed at him.

The corners of Bruce's mouth twitched at her comment.

"That hurts, Miss Kyle," he said, looking over at her for the briefest of moments and holding a hand to his heart.

Selina ignored his 'pain' and continued on. "Where is this house anyway?" Selina asked.

Bruce's face broke into a full smile. He knew that Selina's curiosity would win out over the anger she had for him.

"It's about another half an hour," he said.

"When exactly did you find the time to look at houses, Mr. Wayne?"

"I can't divulge all of my secrets, Selina," he replied. "Just relax and enjoy the ride."

Selina let out an exasperated sigh and she angrily slumped back in the passenger's seat.

"You are _so_ frustrating!" she said loudly.

"Please rate me on a scale of one to _you_," Bruce said dryly.

The shock of his statement registered on Selina's face and her mouth hung open in response.

"I thought for sure that you would be excited," he added before she could say anything.

Selina rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I don't know if _excited_ covers what I'm feeling right now," Selina replied.

"Please enlighten me, then, Miss Kyle," he said, glancing at her briefly.

"When did you start looking at houses?" she asked again, ignoring this question.

"About six a.m."

"What?"

"I didn't intend to buy a house this morning, Selina," Bruce said. "It wasn't something I set out to do."

"So why did you?"

"Why are you so mad at me?" he asked.

"_I am mad at you because you bought a house this morning,"_ Selina hissed through clenched teeth.

"You're mad because you didn't get to help pick it out; you didn't have any control. Quit pouting, we're almost there," he said.

How did he know her so well already?

Bruce continued to drive them to their destination. He'd read the directions about ten times while Selina was taking a shower. He was lucky that he had a great sense of direction because these winding Tuscan roads were starting to look exactly the same to him.

Just when Selina was starting to get really angry again, Bruce brought the car to a stop outside some very ornate and vine-covered iron gates.

Without saying anything, he took the key out of the ignition and climbed out of the car. Selina followed suit; she didn't want to miss anything.

Peering through the gates, Selina tried to see the house that was behind the tree line.

Bruce pressed the buzzer on the gate. "Bruce Wayne," he said into the speaker.

Selina looked at him wide-eyed.

"Bruce?" she asked him.

"I ran the 'Clean Slate' this morning," he said to her non-chalantly. "I want my life back; to quit running," he said as they waited for the gates to open.

A second later the gates slowly began to open in towards the property and a woman in a smart business suit was clicking down the cobblestone driveway towards them. The woman coming in their direction was beautiful. The dark suit was in striking contrast to her platinum blond bob haircut. Selina was grateful that she had put on the new navy blue dress she'd just bought as she surveyed the elegantly dressed woman.

Bruce was the only one casually dressed in his jeans and lavender shirt that he'd left unbuttoned over a plain white t-shirt. He didn't quite look like he was a billionaire, but he didn't seem to bother the woman coming to greet the two of them. He took his sunglasses off and tucked them into the collar of his t-shirt as they walked.

"Mr. Wayne, it's a pleasure to meet you," the woman said with a distinctly French accent. She extended her hand towards him.

"Bruce, please, Ms. Turner," he said as he shook her hand firmly.

"Please call me Collette," she smiled. "I must say you look awfully familiar," she said.

"I get that a lot," Bruce replied.

"And you must be Mrs. Wayne," Collette said, turning towards Selina and smiling.

"Not yet," Selina smiled. "Selina Kyle," she offered as she shook Collette's hand.

Bruce smirked. "I'm hoping the house will help her make up her mind," he said, winking at the real estate agent.

Selina's eyes went wide for a moment at Bruce's announcement, but she recovered best as possible with a smile and a dirty look in his direction.

"He's trying to get out of buying an engagement ring by distracting me with a house," Selina replied, a smile spreading across her face.

"Well, _this _house might do that. A beautiful couple deserves a beautiful home such as this one. Let's go inside and you can explore once we get the paperwork signed," Collette said, linking her arm through Selina's.

The two women began walking towards the house, back up the red-brown cobblestone drive. Bruce let them get a few steps ahead, but he could distinctly hear Selina admiring the woman's shoes as they strolled. The house was only part one of his plan.

They walked up the long drive and Bruce heard a gasp from Selina as she finally saw the entire front view of the home. She stopped walking and turned around to look at Bruce.

"What do you think?" Bruce said. "How'd I do?"

"Holy shit," Selina said. "Je m'excuse," she apologized as turning back to Collette who was just looking at the both of them with a smile.

"The house is brand new, you are the first owners. It's built to be reminiscent of traditional Italian architecture with a modern twist. It sits on twenty acres and it is completely fenced in with privacy walls, except down by the lake, where you have your own dock," Collette explained.

"Is it _three_ stories?" Selina asked.

"Oui," Collette replied brightly.

The house was incredible. Selina admired the multi-levels and turret on the left side. She was astounded. Not only was the house enormous, but it was beautiful, too.

Collette unlocked the front door and stood aside to let her into the atrium. It was bright and airy and totally inviting.

To her left was the amazing wide spiral staircase and to her right was a small table with a pen and a very important-looking document.

"Shall we sign the deed first?" Collette asked.

"I think so," Bruce replied. "You first," he said, handing her the pen.

"What?" Selina asked after coming out of her reverie.

"You need to sign here," Bruce said, pointing to the document. "The primary owner gets to sign first."

Selina blinked. She was torn between feeling a mixture of horror and surprise.

"Primary owner?"

"It's yours," Bruce said quietly.

"Collette, would you be so kind as to excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with Bruce alone," she said.

Collette nodded. "Of course; I'll just upstairs."

Selina waited until she was out of earshot.

"You're putting the house in my name?" Selina hissed.

Bruce was looking around, not meeting Selina's death stare.

"You bought me a house?" she continued. "Whatever happened to flowers and candy?"

"Do you want flowers and candy?" Bruce asked. "I mean, they'd be a hell of a lot cheaper, but I definitely pegged you with more expensive tastes," he said. His face remained placid.

Selina was speechless.

"That's what I thought," Bruce said. "I mean, you _will_ have to share with me, but if you think we can't cohabitate, you are more than welcome to have one of these bedrooms," he said as he led her to the back of the house.

"Are you kidding?" Selina asked. "If my name is going on the deed as owner, I'm sleeping in the master bedroom."

"These rooms aren't so bad…" Bruce said.

"Then you can stay down here if you'd like," Selina grinned.

Bruce was right: the rooms weren't small, but she definitely wanted to see the rest of the space.

"Please just tell me I'm right and then sign the papers? Then it'll be ours to fight in."

"The three bags of belongings that we have between us won't take up much space," Selina said.

Bruce laughed. "You'll have to pick out some furniture for us," he said. "Not exactly my forte."

"There's something you aren't good at?" Selina said joked. "I just don't know what to say."

Bruce looked down into her eyes. "Okay, I know it wasn't the best well-thought out plan. But Italy seems to agree with you and we can't live in a hotel forever," Bruce said. "I don't know about you, but I want a place to call my own and a bed that doesn't creak when I sit on it."

Selina sighed. She'd seen only three or four rooms of this house and she was afraid she'd fallen in love.

"I don't know if I should kiss you or punch you in the face."

"Whatever would may you feel better…"

Selina wound her arms around Bruce's neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss.

"I'm glad that's what you decided on," Bruce said once they'd broken apart.

"All right, let's go sign the paperwork," Selina replied. "How many of your lady friends have you bought houses for?" she asked as they walked back to the foyer.

"Well, counting you…" he said, pretending to do the math and count on his fingers. "One, Miss Kyle. Are you surprised?"

"I'm not sure," Selina said.

"I hope you always keep me surprised."

"Oh, you can count on it," she smiled.

An hour later, Selina was positive that somewhere in that document she'd signed away her first born child. But she had never had a permanent place to live since she was a little girl. The excitement she was feeling was starting to outweigh the fear of being one half of a couple and owning a home.

Selina also couldn't believe how happy Bruce looked. He couldn't seem to keep the smile off of his handsome face as he signed his portion of the paperwork.

"So, would you like a tour of your home?" Collette asked. "Or would you prefer to explore for yourselves?" she beamed.

A/N: Okay, that's just part one. I wanted it to be a little romantic, but you know Selina and Bruce…they just aren't quite to the romantic schtuff yet.

Let me know. Part two coming soon…


	14. Chapter 13 Part Two

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 13: Part Two

Immediately after the tour, Selina wanted to return to the hotel to collect their things. She wanted to stay in their home tonight, despite having no furniture. And Bruce was only too happy to acquiesce to what she wanted.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked as they drove back into the city.

Selina turned and looked at the man sitting next to her in the car.

"Yes," Selina said, smiling. "But the house is beautiful. It's perfect."

Bruce laughed. "Are you going to forgive me anytime soon?" he asked.

"I'm not exactly a 'forgive-and-forget' kind of girl, Mr. Wayne, but it'll be easier with this house," she said honestly. "It must have cost a fortune."

"I'm not going to tell you how much it cost, if that's what you're attempting to figure out."

Selina let out a sigh. "Believe me, I'll never be able to pay you back, even if I knew how much it cost," she explained.

"Don't think about that; think about how you're going to decorate it," he said, desperate to change the subject.

"My Monet painting would have been perfect in the dining room," Selina said quietly. "Jen probably sold it," she said.

"Where did you get that anyway?" Bruce asked.

"Are you sure you want to ask me that question?" she replied.

"I'm not going to hold your past against you as long as you don't hold mine against me," Bruce said.

"I got it from the Louvre," Selina said.

Bruce raised an eyebrow behind his reflective aviator sunglasses. "The Louvre?"

"My favorite museum. I told you I lived in Paris for a while, right? That's where I met Jen," Selina said.

"Yes, and I look forward to getting to know you even better in the days to come," he said he said softly.

Such an innocent statement, yet Selina felt the telltale blush warm through her entire body. She smiled and let his words play through her mind over and over again as they rode in comfortable silence all the way back to Florence.

Bruce parked their rental car in the parking lot at the hotel that had been home for the last few weeks and they each climbed out.

"So, pack up and get some dinner before making the drive back?" Bruce asked. "Or we could stay tonight and go back in the morning."

Selina thought for a moment. Despite having no furniture, she really wanted to spend a night in their house as soon as possible. "I think we should drive back tonight. If you aren't too tired; or I could drive," she said.

Bruce knew what she was going to say before she'd answered him. He nodded approvingly. Selina grabbed Bruce's hand and they walked into the lobby smiling. Neither one of them had felt this companionship before and it definitely seemed to work well for the both of them.

"You go ahead upstairs, I'm going to let them know that we're going to be checking out," Bruce said.

Selina eyed him suspiciously.

"I'll just be a second," Bruce said assuringly. "I promise."

She nodded at him and he bent to kiss her before she walked up the stairs.

Bruce's eyes followed her until she was out of sight and he walked toward the concierge desk.

A small blond was working at the desk today. Bruce knew her name was Gia. Both Selina and he had gotten to know the names of the staff of the hotel. Probably to everyone else it seemed like the couple was just a friendly pair, but they were actually running background checks on staff and guests alike. While Selina and Bruce were learning to trust each other, they didn't trust the rest of the world yet.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Clement," she said brightly. "What can I do for you today?" Her English was impeccable and she had a serious thing for Bruce, however, the girl couldn't have been more than 19 years old, twenty at maximum.

"Hello, Gia," he replied, smiling his wide smile at her. "We're going to be checking out today," he said.

Her smile fell.

"Oh, why so suddenly, sir?" she asked. "I hope it wasn't something that we've done."

"Of course not," he replied. "The wife and I found a house. We're relocating to Italy permanently."

Gia's face lit up again in a wide smile. "Well, that's certainly wonderful to hear!"

"So, I'll be needing that package from your safe," he said conspiratorially.

Gia nodded, her big blond hair bouncing wildly. "Of course you will!" she said back. "If you'll just wait one moment, I can get it for you."

She continued to grin and walked away from the desk into a back room area. A moment later, Gia returned with a navy blue velvet box.

Gia gingerly handed it to Bruce and he accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you," he said.

"Can I see what's inside?" she asked. Her smile then fell. She was over the line. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Where are my manners?"

"It's okay," Bruce smiled. He opened the box and Gia surveyed the contents. A beautiful strand of pearls. "Do you think she'll like them?" he asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

Gia looked up to the man before her. "I don't think she could dislike them, sir. They're beautiful."

"They were my mother's," he said quietly.

Gia smiled. "Well, Mrs. Clement is a lucky woman. They'll look lovely on her," she said wistfully. "Where is the house you bought?" she asked, coming out of her thoughts on being Mrs. Clement in Selina's place.

Bruce bristled at the change of subject. He closed the box and held it down in front of him. "Almost two hours north east of here. I don't know the name of the closest town, but it's on a pretty decent sized lake."

"Well, I think it's wonderful that you've decided to stay here in Italy, particularly Tuscany. Would you like to take care of the bill now, or before you leave?" she asked, switching back to business.

"Now would be fine," he said. It was always about money.

Selina had almost all of their things packed by the time Bruce entered their room.

"Honey, I'm home!" Bruce called out, laughing as he did so. He spotted one of his bags on the footstool and he tucked the velvet box into it as Selina rounded the corner from the kitchen.

"What do you think we should do with the little bit of food we have left in the fridge?" she asked. Bruce hoped she didn't see him putting the box away.

"What do we have left?"

"Some wine, cheese, bread, some ridiculously fancy mustard that we seemed to have paid twenty Euros for…" she trailed off.

"It's good mustard," Bruce muttered.

Selina rolled her eyes. "I guess it's going with us," she said. "What was the damage?" Selina asked.

He shook his head. "You don't want to know."

Selina sighed. "Are you going to pay for everything?"

"I just might," Bruce replied dryly. "It's really not important, Selina. What is it with you and money?"

Selina's face screwed up in frustration. "If you aren't used to having it, it makes it that much more important. How is it fair if you pay for everything?"

"Who said anything about things needing to be fair?" he asked.

"You can't keep paying for everything; you and I are in this together," Selina said angrily.

"Selina, I'm really not in the mood to fight."

"Good, dinner is on me tonight," she said.

Bruce looked down at his watch.

"Speaking of dinner, we should get a move on if we want to be in the house before dark. We don't have any electricity yet," Bruce said.

Selina nodded. She made one more pass through the bathroom and then back into the bedroom. There were a lot of good memories made here in this hotel suite, but the promise of the ones to be made in their new home was even more tempting.

"I think we've got everything," she announced as she walked back out to Bruce.

"Well then, let's go get some dinner."

The two of them had their usual table with the beautiful view of the Arno River. At the dinner hour, the sun was just beginning to set ever so slightly.

Bruce smiled at her as she watched the people milling around and the boats float by on the water.

"What?" she asked as she finally caught him looking at her.

"Nothing."

"I highly doubt that," Selina said in a flat tone.

"I have something else for you," he said, sliding the velvet box towards her.

"Something else? What now, Bruce?" she said in an exasperated tone.

"Just open it."

Selina opened it and her mouth dropped open. She was stunned.

"I can't take these. The house was one thing, but…not these," she said, sliding the box back towards Bruce.

"You can and you will," he said, standing. He opened the box again and took the string of pearls out.

He stepped behind her and placed them gently around her neck and fastened them. Instinctively, her hand moved up to her collar to touch them.

Bruce admired the smile that he caused and she pulled him down to her for a kiss.

"Thank you," she replied.

"They really do look better on you than they did in the box," he said.

"I can't believe you want me to have them."

"Well, believe it, Selina," he said.

A waiter joined them at their table to take their order and the two of them carried on companionable conversation as they waited for their meals.

Bruce was relaxed in his chair as he faced the restaurant. His button up shirt was still open, revealing his white undershirt and his sunglasses were hanging on the shirt's collar.

He looked away for a split second, to follow Selina's gaze and when he turned back he was there.

Alfred J. Pennyworth looked good. He sat quietly reading his newspaper and enjoying his drink. Bruce was sure that he hadn't seen him yet. He knew Alfred would come. This had to be the place and it made him extremely happy that he figured it out.

Selina pulled her hair back into a ponytail and the movement must have caught Alfred's eye. He turned in Bruce's direction and a look of recognition crossed the old man's face.

Bruce nodded, simply nodded and a moment later Alfred did the same. But unexpectedly, Alfred stood from his chair and put some money on the table before walking away.

Bruce's stomach dropped, but he knew that Alfred would be happy knowing that he was alive and well. And he was; he was happier than he'd ever been. However, that didn't stop the overwhelming urge to run after the man who'd raised him. A knot formed in his throat and a pang of guilt mixed with regret hit him hard.

"Who were you nodding at?" Selina asked, stopping his thought process.

Bruce turned back to Selina. "What?"

"You haven't made eye contact with anyone except for me since we landed in Italy; who were you nodding at?" she asked again.

"Alfred," Bruce said simply.

"Alfred? _Alfred?"_ she asked. "Like your old butler, _Alfred?_ Go get him!" Selina said.

"No," he replied.

The waiter returned and pushed their plates in front of them, temporarily halting their conversation.

"Why not?" Selina continued once the man had walked away.

"Because he just needed to know I'm okay; that we're okay," Bruce explained.

"Are you sure?" Selina asked.

"Yes," he answered. "Positive. Now eat your dinner so we can go play house," he said.

Selina felt herself blush all over once again and she started to eat her dinner.

…

Bruce and Selina spent the entire car ride back to their house attempting to decide on furniture. They had a lot of rooms that were going to need it.

There were two guest rooms on the first floor that opened up that each had their own set of French doors that opened up onto the outdoor covered patio. The second floor housed a formal dining room, a large open kitchen, a game room and a family room, as well as another bathroom and utility room.

Selina's favorite space, though, was the third floor. And rightfully so; it was the master suite. The master bedroom, bathroom and walk in closet took up almost the entire floor. There was also a sitting room with a fire place and built in bar.

It was almost completely dark by the time they returned to their house. Bruce carried their bags in while Selina unlocked the door.

"We're lucky we have water to the place," Bruce said as they climbed the stairs to the third floor. Selina had found a flashlight and was directing them with its dim light as they went.

"We have appliances, too," she said. "Not that we can do anything without electricity."

"Too bad it isn't gas," Bruce said. "It isn't, is it?" he asked.

"No, Collette said that it's all electric," Selina replied, smiling.

"Perfect," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, please," Selina said. "One night without electricity won't kill you; it'll make you stronger," she giggled.

"I can go outside and grab some firewood and we can use the fireplace," Bruce said once they'd reached the third floor. "I should probably go now before its pitch black out there," he said.

"You're going to leave me all alone in this big house?" Selina purred into his ear once he'd set the bags down.

"I'd feel worse about the idiot that tried anything with you," Bruce laughed, pulling her into a tight embrace. He tipped up her chin and met her lips with his own.

His hands explored her curves; she really looked terrific in a color other than black. This navy-colored dress suited her. His hand started searching for the zipper while Selina's hands fisted in his hair.

Their kiss deepened and so did the need for one another. Piece by piece, they divested themselves of articles of clothing and they spent the night making love in the middle of their empty master bedroom. Selina's last conscious thought as she fell asleep late in the night on Bruce's chest was that she was pleased to have brought the blankets in from the car.

… … … … …

"What do you mean you _lost him?_" he snarled. He rounded on the blond woman behind him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. J," she said, her East Gotham accent coming out. She'd known him long time, but when he was in a mood as foul as this, it was even hard for her to talk to him.

"Harley," he said as sweetly as possible.

_Never trust a man whose emotions changed so quickly,_ a voice said in her head. She shook it away. She trusted him implicitly.

"Harley, all you had to do was to watch the old man," he said.

"Why do you even give two shits about the old man?" Harley asked.

"Because he's going to lead us to Bruce Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne is just another stuck up rich bastard. He obviously faked his death," Harley replied. "No one cares. Gotham certainly doesn't."

"My dear lady," the Joker said, holding Harley's chin firmly in his hand. "Bruce Wayne is the Batman. And he and I have unfinished business. He needs to know that running away isn't an option. He can't give up his cape as long as I'm out there. Actually, he _won't_. _I know him._ He can't escape the way he feels. He's the other half of my puzzle. He needs to know that he can't up-end my world the way he did. The Batman isn't allowed to go away and he needs to know that. Do you understand?"

He nodded Harley's head for her.

"Good. Now, get some sleep, beautiful. You're going back out tomorrow morning to find the Cat instead."

"What about the butler?" Harley asked once he'd released his grip on her.

"I told you not to ask questions," the Joker replied. "You find Selina Kyle as soon as you can. She's the key to bringing Bruce Wayne down. I'm sure of it. We can go after the old man once Kyle is taken care of."

…

A/N: Okay! There it is. Please let me know what you all think! Thanks so much!


	15. Chapter 14

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 14

Selina was curled around him the next morning. He needed to move without waking her up and without making his back hurt any more than it already did. Bruce was fairly certain that neither one of these things was going to be possible. She looked peaceful as she slept; more so now than he'd ever seen her before. But he _needed_ to get up.

Bruce began his slow, calculated moves to uncurl her from him. Her hand slid from around his neck and down his chest. Her lips were moving, forming soundless words. Selina was dreaming again. She dreamed often, at least in the short time that he'd been sleeping next to her. He made a mental note to ask her what she was always dreaming about.

Bruce finished extricating himself from her and made sure she was covered in the other blanket. He dug in his bag for the sweat pants he'd purchased here in Italy and pulled them up so they sat low on his hips. He looked down at her once more before retreating to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, when Bruce emerged from the bathroom, Selina had rolled over and her butt was hanging out of the blanket. He chuckled quietly, but did not cover her again before he opened the door to their balcony off of their master bedroom. He was going to work on a list of things they would need for the house. Bruce walked outside and sat down on the floor of the porch.

Selina awoke with a start on the floor. The backside of her was cold and when she finally was totally conscious, she realized that it was because her entire backside was sticking out from the blanket. _Classy, Selina,_ she thought to herself. She stood up and wrapped the blanket around herself. She saw Bruce sitting on the balcony.

"Good morning," she said as she joined Bruce outside.

"Morning," Bruce replied, looking up at the woman wrapped in a blanket.

"What might you be doing out here all on your lonesome?" Selina asked.

He reached for her hand to pull her down in to his lap. Once she was settled in, he showed her the tablet computer and the list he was making.

"I'm pleased to see that electricity is the first item listed," Selina laughed. "But I think the second thing should be a security system."

Bruce kissed her bare shoulder then rested his chin on it as they looked over the list.

"You think so?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she replied. "This house, as beautiful as it is, is full of very weak entry points. But I'll make sure it's secure."

"Well, I couldn't think of a better woman for the job," Bruce said. "What am I missing?"

Selina silently read the list again.

"I think you've got everything," Selina said.

"Well, how about we get dressed and we can go into town. I can drop you at a store and I can go take care of the electricity issue," Bruce said.

Selina shifted in his lap. "You're really going to let me decorate the whole house?" she asked.

"Of course," Bruce said, laughing. "I don't know the first thing about decorating."

"I don't want to move," Selina said.

"You don't?" he asked.

Selina turned her head and looked at him.

"No," she said firmly.

"I think I could deal with staying here with you for a few centuries," he said, kissing her shoulder again. "Especially with you in just a blanket and the pearl necklace."

"We do need furniture, though."

"And probably food," Bruce added.

Selina nodded. "Yes, food would probably be good." Selina put her head back on Bruce's shoulder and they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you really going to let me go shopping alone?" she asked.

"Couches are too big to fit in purses, Miss Kyle," he replied. "Even purses the size of yours," he smiled.

Selina felt the smile on her lips, too. It felt good to be here, with Bruce. It was her first step towards a normal life. A life she'd wanted since she was a little girl. The Dark Knight had come to rescue her and take her away from her old life.

"Besides, have you ever gotten to walk into a store and point at something and say 'I want two of those'?" Bruce asked.

"I've thought about it, once or twice," Selina admitted.

"Well, take one of my cards…"

"Oh, no," Selina said. "I am going to use my money for the furniture, Mr. Wayne."

"Oh?"

"Oh, what?" Selina asked. "If you're dropping me off at a furniture store alone, I'm paying the way I want."

"You don't have to, though."

"I'm not some kind of kept woman, Bruce," Selina said, a rough edge to her tone. "You said you and I were in this together. I have money, I want to spend it on building a home and a life with you," she said, standing to look at him.

It slipped out before she realized it. It was an admission she had wanted to keep to herself, at least for a while longer.

The shock of the statement only registered on Bruce's face for only half a second, then his lips curved into a wide smile.

"You want to have a life with me?" he asked in a semi-teasing voice. Bruce stood from his place on the balcony and pulled her into his arms. He laughed.

"What's so funny about that?" Selina spat.

"It's funny because I already know that," he said. "I knew that back in Gotham; when I asked you to help me open up the tunnel. You wanted to me to run away with you, then."

"That was because…" Selina started.

"Because why?" he asked.

"I don't know," Selina finally admitted through gritted teeth.

"If it were any other city in the whole world, Selina, I would have left with you that night. But Gotham _was_ my city. I would have done anything to protect it."

"_Would have_?" Selina asked.

"Now I'd do anything for you," Bruce said. "I love you, Selina."

Now it was Selina's turn to feel the shock of Bruce's words. She said nothing; Selina wasn't sure what to say.

"Say something, please," Bruce said. She could hear the pleading in his voice.

"You _love_ me?" she asked. She hadn't heard these words in a long time; and she'd never heard them from a man. Well, she'd never heard them from a man she wasn't trying to con.

"Just say whatever you're thinking, Selina," Bruce said. He sounded frustrated and if she was right, he sounded hurt.

"I'm thinking that you're out of your mind and that I must be, too."

"What?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"I love you, too, Bruce," she said quietly, as if she were admitting some secret that no one else was supposed to hear. "We are really screwed up."

"Yes, we are. But at least we're screwed up together."

Selina smiled.

"I gotta tell you, Wayne, it's kind of nice to have someone."

"How long has it been, Selina?" he asked.

"What?"

"How long has it been since you've had someone you could depend on? That you could trust?"

"I…"

"Did you leave family behind in Gotham, Selina?"

It hadn't occurred to him until that particular moment that Selina probably had a family. While he'd done extensive research on Selina, her family hadn't come up.

"No," Selina said as she pulled the blanket tighter around her. "I think I'm going to get dressed," she said as she tried to stop their conversation.

She was back inside in an instant, but Bruce was on her heels.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We were having a nice moment; I don't want to ruin it with my screwed up past, okay? Let's get dressed and head into town," Selina suggested.

She continued to move away from him, but she put a smile on her face while she did it.

"I'll tell you another time," she offered.

"Or you could just tell me right now," Bruce said.

"Like I said, I don't want to ruin the day," she said as she pulled on a pair of jeans and her bra.

She looked at Bruce and crossed the room and stepped into the bathroom so she could brush her teeth.

Bruce followed her into the room, still shirtless and barefoot. He put his hand on her shoulder and slid it down her arm.

"You can tell me anything, Selina. Believe me, I'm sure I've heard worse," Bruce said.

His hand traced another scar on her side. Different than the one on her shoulder blade. She winced instinctively, even though it couldn't possibly cause her pain at this point in time.

"I don't have parents anymore, Bruce."

He waited expectantly for the rest of the story. Bruce was still behind her, watching her face in the mirror.

But Bruce got nothing more from her.

"This is my fresh start; I don't want to be defined by this anymore. I don't have to be."

Bruce nodded. It was enough.

"Okay, let's get going."

… … … … …

"Okay, Blondie, I know they were living here," Harley shouted in a second woman's face.

She had tracked the couple to the hotel in Florence and she was…_making friends_…the only way she knew how.

Harley had taken Gia, the blond woman from the front desk, while she was on her break. And now the petite woman was tied to a chair while the crazy woman circled around her.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Gia cried. "I told you; I don't know anyone named Bruce Wayne!"

"So you're telling me that no one named Selina Kyle or Bruce Wayne patronized your establishment?" Harley said, her lips twisting into a sadistic smile. She had a knife in her hand, but the woman was still at least five steps back from the woman tied to the chair.

"No. We have lots of couples stay, but I promise you, none were named Bruce and Selina.'

"You wouldn't lie to me, would ya Blondie?" Harley asked. "I don't take too kindly to liars."

"No," Gia sobbed. "No, no, no…"

Even without the knife, Harley was scary. Her own blond hair was greasy and pulled into two long pigtails. Her entire face was covered in white greasepaint and large black circles were drawn about her wild eyes. She had painted her lips in red to match that of the Jokers, although the actual scars were absent.

"Ya know who else doesn't like liars?" Harley said. "Mr. J doesn't like liars, either," she finished.

Gia continued to sob uncontrollably, her small body shaking despite the ties holding her to the chair.

Harley spun and slapped the small woman hard across the face.

"Shut up!" Harley yelled.

Gia sniffled.

Harley brought the knife up to Gia's throat.

"We _didn't_ have anyone by those names, I swear!" Gia cried. "Please don't hurt me."

Harley kicked the woman hard in the shin with the pointy toe of her boot and Gia howled in pain.

"A man and a woman did stay with us for a while on their honeymoon. But those weren't their names."

"Where were they going?" Harley hissed, the point of the knife pressed back to the young woman's throat. "I _need_ to know."

"The man said he bought a house. About two hours north of here," Gia sobbed.

"And what names were they using?" Harley said.

A trickle of blood came from the place where the knife was digging in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Clement," Gia breathed. The young woman was hoping that this would stop the torture, but Harley wasn't finished.

Harley suddenly swung and let the handle of the knife connect with Gia's head, effectively knocking the woman unconscious. She needed a few minutes to decide her fate.

Harley surveyed the small woman before her. She'd served her purpose, but now there was a mess and an unconscious woman tied to a chair before her.

"Aw, what did you do?" the Joker said as he walked into the room.

"Mr. J," Harley said. "I got the information we needed," she squeaked. She was obviously pleased with herself.

The Joker surveyed the mess and shrugged before kissing Harley full on the lips.

"Good job, honey. Now do something about this," he said, waving a gloved hand at the woman behind the both of them.

…

A/N: Okay, so what did you think? Please let me know.

Thanks!


	16. Chapter 15

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 15

A week passed and their house began to feel more like a home. Furniture had begun to arrive a couple days prior and she was enjoying herself as she was making plans.

The newest arrival was finally the mattress to sit on top of the bed frame and box springs that had come two days ago. Bruce was admiring Selina's natural talent at picking out mattresses. He'd helped the poor guys who were stuck bringing it up three floors on a spiral staircase and he was now resting his back on the naked mattress.

"Are you sure it's fine for you and your back?" she asked. "I wish you would have gone with me."

He shifted slightly, making himself more comfortable.

"Someone had to be here when the rest of it was delivered," Bruce said.

"You don't like it? We can use it in a guest room or…"

"Hey, relax, Selina," he said. "Come here."

He pulled on her hand so she would join him on the big bed.

Selina gracefully joined him and put her head on his shoulder.

"It's great," Bruce said. "You did perfectly."

"Are you sure?"

"What happened to the like it or screw you speech you gave me?"

Selina smiled. "I just want to make sure the old man I'm living with is comfortable. I see if I can trade it in for one of the orthopedic models; you know, the kind that moves."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, but said nothing for a moment.

"We could break the bed in," Bruce suggested.

"No, we don't have time. We have to go into the city for dinner," she said, pulling out of his arms.

Bruce sat up and looked at her with a confused expression.

"We do?"

"Yes."

"Why?" he asked. "I think we should stay here and do what we did last night," he said, his voice becoming darker.

"Last night we argued and I threw my brand new, very expensive, vase at your head," Selina called from their closet.

"Luckily, I was able to dodge that," Bruce said. "But that wasn't what was referring to."

"Oh," Selina smiled. "You must mean the debauchery on the kitchen counter," she said sarcastically.

"There was nothing _debauched_ about what we did," Bruce said, climbing down from the mattress to join her in the closet.

"You, sir, pulled one of the cabinet doors from its hinges," she said.

"I put it back on this morning. Besides, you didn't seem so upset last night," he finished. "In fact, the words you used were…"

"Okay, okay," Selina laughed, holding her hands up. "I concede. The cabinet door didn't matter much to me last night or this morning." She turned to face him. "Just don't break my whole house. I've never had one before."

Bruce smiled. "You got it."

Half an hour later, Bruce and Selina were headed into Florence.

"You have yet to tell me why we're heading all the way back into the city."

"Fine. Gia called. Said the hotel was having a party and wanted us to come down. It sounded like fun."

"Gia?"

"The girl that had the hots for you at the hotel."

"The blond one?" he asked.

"Yes," Selina sighed.

"You agreed to a party instead of us having sex in our new bed?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Oh."

"She said it's the hotel's anniversary or something. She seemed really excited about it," Selina explained. "Besides, the bed'll be here when we get home."

Bruce smiled at her statement and Selina felt the blush creeping through her. _When we get home_ sounded so normal.

Selina held Bruce's hand as they continued their drive into town.

An hour later, they were stopping outside of the hotel. There were tons of cars parked outside it.

Bruce held the door for Selina and they walked into the totally silent lobby. No one was there. Not even the staff.

"Maybe they're holding the party somewhere else?" Selina suggested.

Bruce was immediately suspicious. Something wasn't right.

"Let's go," he said, his voice hard. He didn't want Selina to argue.

But she wasn't going to.

They turned back to the entrance doors and suddenly and silently it was blocked by three men in clown masks with violent-looking weapons.

"Um…" Selina said.

"Get behind me," he said calmly to her.

"No," she said back.

"Selina," he said sternly. He tried to use his arm to sweep her behind him, so he could shield her, but she moved out of his reach.

"We're in this together, remember?" she said.

"Isn't that cuute?" the Joker said from behind them, stretching his vowels. "Precious, really."

Selina and Bruce slowly turned in the direction of the voice.

"The Bat and the Cat playing house. The martyr and the burglar. It's all bull shit, ya know."

"How did you get out of Arkham?" Selina asked.

The Joker merely laughed, waving the jagged knife in his hand.

"You really thought that you could be…_anything_…without me? I told you before, Brucey, but maybe you couldn't hear me through that helmet thing of yours…you and I are two pieces of the same puzzle. The yin and the yang. And you just up and left Gotham and me. That's a naughty Batman. Good thing your girlfriend is stupid and took the bait I left for her."

"Where's Gia?" Selina suddenly realized.

"You will be joining her real soon, Miss Kyle," he said. He turned his attention to the men in clown masks. More of them had filed in and were surrounding them. "Get Wayne. And take the kitty cat to Harley downstairs."

Selina's eyes went wide in horror as the men rushed the two of them.

One man kicked out, hitting Bruce's damaged knee as he fought them back. The injured knee gave out, his own body betraying him, and he fell to the ground. Another man delivered a kick to Bruce's diaphragm, forcing all of the air out of his lungs.

"No fancy get ups and gadgets to protect you now, Wayne. It's just going to be you and I," the Joker said.

Selina had been able to knock one of her attackers out, having wrenched his arm backwards and breaking it with a sickeningly loud crunch. But more men rushed her and put a gun to her temple.

They turned Bruce and Selina to face each other. The Joker put his jagged rusty knife to Bruce's throat.

"Either of you moves again without my _per_mission and the other one is dead."

Bruce's expression was calm; he was trying to steady Selina, who had silent tears streaming down her face.

"Look at that, Brucey!" the Joker howled. "You actually have a woman crying over you! Now, see, in Rachel's final moments…" the Joker smiled malevolently. "Her final moments she spent telling that Dent guy that she would marry him! And then _boom_ went the building. Do you remember that?"

Bruce's face never changed. And he did not respond.

The Joker lashed out, socking Bruce in the jaw. "I asked you a question. Didn't your prep school upbringing teach you better manners? Never mind. Take her to Harley, tell her it's her anniversary gift."

One of the other men in a mask stepped up. "What do we do with Wayne?"

The Joker smiled.

"Can I see your gun?" he asked.

The masked man obliged the Joker and handed him the weapon. The crowd laughed and Selina screamed. But the bullet that exploded through the barrel landed in the clown-masked man's forehead. He fell over and landed directly in front of Bruce, who was still down on his knees.

"So that's the deal, folks. One move and Wayne gets it, Kyle. Get her out of here."

Selina's arms were wrenched behind her as she was being dragged backwards.

"Bruce!" she screamed.

She tried to dig her heels into the floor to slow them down, but without her serrated steel heels and their sheer size advantage over her, it was no use.

Bruce closed his eyes. He'd been through so much. And now, finally, he was at his chance for freedom and this twisted psychopath was taking it away.

"Why do you need her?" Bruce said.

"She owes me," the Joker said simply.

"And where is she going?" he asked evenly.

"Miss Kyle is going to visit with Doctor Harleen Quinzel, a leading physician in the treatment of the criminally insane," the Joker smiled. "We are going to get to the bottom of her thieving tendencies. And judging by the age difference between the two of you, her daddy issues. Get up."

Bruce hesitated for a moment, but stood.

"Don't you worry about her, Brucey. They'll have a little girl talk, a little gossip about the good ol' days. And maybe some electro-shock therapy. Harley said it's terrific for the treatment of patients."

Bruce was marched to a room on the first floor of the hotel. Probably a conference room. The windows were boarded up. He was tied to a chair, hands and feet bound. But he wasn't worried about himself. He wanted Selina to be okay.

"Ya know," the Joker started. "For a minute, I was sure it was you flitting around Gotham in a new suit. But the closer I got, I realized it was a cheap and sad imitation of whatever you thought you were for the hell-hole of a city," he said. The Joker's mouth seemed to move out of sync with the words coming out of it. Bruce struggled to focus, but everything was getting fuzzy.

"You took the easy way out, Bruce Wayne. You let the city mourn you and the Batman. Your house left to all those poor little orphans, really clever. And you're over in Italy screwing the woman who helped screw Gotham. Were you going to marry her, Wayne? Make the woman an honest woman? Start a family? Do you really think she would change? Newsflash!" he spat in Bruce's face. "People _don't_ change! You don't think you've changed do you? Think you can be a husband? A father? You can't. It makes me sick that you were going to try."

"What do you want?" Bruce said, as he tried to fight the fog that was enveloping him.

"I'm going to take you back to Gotham, Bruce Wayne. And let the Gothamites see how big of a hero you really are. And then maybe you can really die."

Bruce lost consciousness at that point. He hadn't realized that amid the scuffle he'd been injected with something. His limbs went slack and he slumped in the chair, despite all of his efforts to fight it.

"What do we do with him now, boss?" one of the clowns said.

The Joker looked at him. "Get him loaded up in the van. We just have to wait for Harley. "

To Be Continued…soon, I promise…

A/N: Okay, let me know what's going through your heads! (That means leave me a review! Lol.)

Thanks in advance!


	17. Chapter 16

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 16

Selina, on the other hand, was still wide awake. She kicked and screamed as two of the Joker's thugs dragged her into the dingy basement of the hotel.

"You know, he's just going to kill you when he's finished," Selina pled with her captors. "He doesn't like to leave people around that know things."

But everything she tried fell on deaf ears.

They suddenly stopped, apparently reaching their destination and tossed her unceremoniously to the ground.

The fixed their guns on her as she stood shakily to her knees.

"Just shoot me now. Just do it," she said, egging them on.

Neither one even fluttered their trigger finger.

"Worthless," Selina hissed. "Clearly you're the third or fourth string thugs. His first guys…" Selina smiled. "Now they knew how to have a good time."

"Hey!" one clown said, obviously offended at her statement. "I know how to have a good time."

He lowered his gun and strode close to her. The clown ran a hand down her upper arm.

"_I_ could show you a good time."

"Are you saying that _I_ don't know how to have a good time?" the other clown said. He also stepped towards Selina and slid an arm around her waist.

Selina wound her arms around their necks and smiled. "Now this could be a party," she smiled more seductively at the both of them in turn.

"What about Wayne? Weren't you and he an item?" one goon asked.

Selina laughed, disarming both of them with her charm.

"Wayne thought I was in love with him. I just wanted his money once I found out he wasn't really dead," Selina said.

These guys were real idiots.

"Now, while we wait for Harley, why don't we have some fun?"

She pulled their masks off, one hand on each head. The guys both had set their guns down so they'd have free hands to enjoy the fun.

But Selina dug her red nails into their scalps and used all of her strength to bring their skulls together in a painful crack.

In their disorientation, Selina kicked one gun a distance away and picked the other up. Getting back on his feet, one of the men lunged at her and she brought the butt of the gun down on the already sore spot on the guy's head. He fell to the ground, totally unconscious and Selina turned to the other man.

"Well, you won the duel. Sort of," Selina smiled. "Want your prize?"

"What?" the man was obviously confused.

"You and I honey," Selina replied.

"I'm not going to fall for that," he said. "You must think I'm really stupid."

"He was ugly," Selina said. "You're much more my type."

She tucked the gun into the back waistband of her pants.

"How can I know if you're telling the truth?" he asked.

"Do you really think I'm allowed to kill the Joker's guys? If I did anything to you, my brains'd be all over the floor like good ol' what's his face up there," Selina said.

The man shrugged. Clearly he didn't know what to make of the turn of events.

"I've been working with the Joker for almost ten years. You think I got a death wish now? _Hello no._ But if you don't come over here soon and kiss me, I'm probably not going to be in the mood anymore," she finished. She remained flirty, despite the disgust she was feeling.

He walked back over to her; definitely more confident this time.

"Okay, baby, I got ya," he said. "That was a pretty good act you was doing upstairs," he said. Obviously grammar wasn't a pre-requisite for working with the Joker.

"Aw, thanks," she said before she brought her knee up into the man's groin. He doubled over in pain and she swung her elbow down on his head. He was now unconscious, too.

Selina straightened her clothes and tossed her hair. "I _am_ a pretty great actress," she said out loud.

"Yeah, to them, maybe," Harley said from the doorway. "But I won't fall for your bull shit."

"You probably ought to have told your henchmen to tie hostages up," Selina said. "They're less likely to beat the shit out of them that way."

"Oh, some we do," Harley said, her eyes wild.

She dramatically pulled the curtain in the corner of the room down and a small woman was hanging by her wrists and ankles from the ceiling. She was breathing shallowly but at the sight of Harley, she became more frenzied and panicked.

Selina gasped. It was Gia.

"Let her go!" Selina called. "She isn't involved in this."

"She _was_, actually," Harley said. "But she's served her purpose. Now she's my trophy."

Harley picked up the discarded gun of one of the henchmen and fired a round into the poor girl. Gia let out a muffled scream and then fell limp against her bindings.

"You didn't have to do that, Harley," Selina said quietly.

"Casualties! There will always be casualties in war," Harley shouted in Selina's face. "You should know that!"

"That's bull shit. We aren't in a war. He must have you on something, Harley. You never used to be like this."

Harley had discarded the gun in favor of a knife and she had moved to be within inches of Selina.

"Don't give me that crap, Selina! You were supposed to come get me! Out of Arkham! You were supposed to be my friend! But you left me to rot away!" she waved the knife. "You broke our friendship and you broke a promise to Mr. J," Harley said. "But it's okay; I know who loves me. Mr. J came to get me. And he said since he had Wayne, I could do what I wanted with…_you_."

"Oh yeah?" Selina said.

No one had come with Harley. The two guys were still out cold on the floor. She just needed to get past Harley to get out. But there was only one way out of the basement.

"Yeah," she squeaked back.

"No matter what you do, it won't be as good as the Joker. You just don't have it in you."

"Are you kidding me?!" Harley shouted. "I am plenty crazy, Kyle!"

"Nah, believe me, I've seen bat-shit crazy. And you…you're a riled up puppy dog; cute little bark and definitely no bite."

Harley lunged at Selina. Despite her gymnastics training, she missed her mark because of the unconscious man on the floor.

Selina backed up, into the shadows, waiting to pounce.

"Here kitty, kitty," Harley yelled into the dark area of the basement. She was pacing back and forth anxiously. She couldn't see Selina in the unlit part of the basement and silently waited for any sounds.

However, Selina was quiet. She would have been a terrible cat burglar if she'd made noise as she was doing her breaking and entering. In fact, the only time she'd been caught by an owner of a safe she was cracking was by Bruce Wayne.

Selina threw herself at the woman in the jester costume. They crashed to the floor and the bells on Harley's hat slammed into the ground with a loud jingling. Selina straddled the woman's thighs and slammed her fist into Harley's jaw.

"Ow!" Harley yelled, her hands clawing at the air, groping to make contact with Selina. She was going to scratch this woman's eyes out when she reached her.

She gripped the hem of Selina's shirt and pulled; she was close enough to land a punch of her own on Catwoman's face. Harley connected with Selina's eye socket and her sight went hazy.

Harley got the upper-hand and twisted herself free of Selina's grip.

She pinned the woman down and stared menacingly down at her. She smiled; a blue bruise was already beginning to form on the beautiful brunette woman's face.

One of the henchmen was starting to awaken again and Harley hurled a knife out of her costume at the man. It landed directly in the man's windpipe. He clutched at it, eyes wide. There was no way he was going to be able to survive this particular wound.

"Selina Kyle…" Harley said into Selina's face. "Where do you get off judging _me?_"

"What are you talking about?" Selina asked as she struggled against Harley's strong grip.

"You decided that it would be _best_ for me to be left in Arkham? That I'm crazy? And then someone decided that I should be shipped away from my puddin'…"

Selina's body convulsed at Harley's term of endearment.

Harley didn't miss it.

"What?" she smiled. "You don't like me calling him _puddin'_?"

Selina shook her head. "It's disgusting," Selina replied coolly.

Harley slapped Selina across the opposite cheek; hoping that she'd have a matching bruise in a few minutes.

"Can you just kill me and get it over with? The sound of your voice is starting to give me a migraine," Selina said.

She knew she could bother Harley with her indifference to the situation.

Selina was right. Harley gritted her teeth and growled.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry for bothering you, Selina," Harley said sarcastically. "But ya know what? You've just given me a terrific idea. Definitely better than Mr. J would have come up with. I'm going to leave you here."

She jumped up and then pulled Selina to her feet. Harley dragged Selina against the wall. There were more shackles hanging there, just waiting to hold Selina from going anywhere.

"Where are you and your sadistic clown boyfriend taking Bruce?" Selina spat.

Her arms were shackled above her head; they were going to be very sore in a very short amount of time.

Harley started to laugh sadistically, so hard that tears started streaming down her face.

"Tell me!" she screamed into the woman's face.

Harley reached out and stroked Selina's bruising cheek.

"Back to Gotham, honey! To show all those _good_ people how big of a coward and a liar Bruce Wayne actually is. We're going to let the Gothamites decide what should be done with the prince that chose to abandon them."

Harley did a little excited dance around Selina.

"You always thought you were so much better than me. But I guess that's not so true! Mr. J is going to be so proud of me! See ya later, pussycat."

Harley grinned ear to ear before back-flipping back towards the exit of the basement.

Then Selina was alone. Well, kind of alone. There were two dead bodies and an unconscious man who was probably going to be very pissed when he woke up. She needed a way out of this.

She pulled on the shackles. They didn't budge.

"Shit," Selina hissed.

How was she going to get herself out of this?

Selina groaned in anger. Her thoughts turned to Bruce. If they were going to take him to Gotham to have him publicly ridiculed, they were going to need to keep him alive. She was unsure of the state he was actually in; he could be really injured.

Was the Joker really going to rip everything they had away from them? It really seemed that way.

Selina hadn't grown up in a happy home. It had been a long time since she'd been truly happy and the stupid clown and his girlfriend had decided to take it away from her. That didn't just make her mad…she was pissed as hell.

The other one of the Joker's henchmen started to wake up and apparently she hadn't done enough damage to keep him woozy as he woke up. He first saw his dead pal on the ground, the knife still sticking out of his neck. Then he saw the trail of blood from the other woman hanging on the wall. His eyes then found Selina.

His head cocked to one side, but he didn't say anything. A smile, not unlike the Joker's own, formed on his lips.

"Lookie what we have here," he snarled.

Selina's heart sank. She wasn't going to be able to put up much of a fight chained to the wall.

"Can we talk about this?" Selina said, trying to be seductive again, but she was finding that fear was creeping through her. Normally, she was fearless, but today she was scared. It had been a while since she felt so totally helpless.

The man came at her and she took a kick to the diaphragm and she doubled over as much as she could. She knew several of her ribs were shattered. It hurt to breathe.

As the man came at her again, Selina tried to put all of her rage and fear into a kick. She got her leg up as high as she could and connected with the guy's jaw. Selina was pleased at the sound of the sickening crunch that came from the hit. He reeled backwards.

"You're gonna pay for that, bitch," he said, his words garbled through a mess blood, teeth, and possibly bone.

Selina pulled at the chains again. One began to loosen and she kept tugging as the man tried to pull himself together.

Her left arm pulled the chains from the wall, pulling the bricks and cement with it.

The man came at her again and she swung at him with her free arm. She wrapped the chain on her wrist around the man's neck. Selina tugged as hard as she could until the man's eyes bulged and his face grew red. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't fight any more.

He collapsed in a heap at her feet. Selina was still attached by one arm to the wall. It was just her, and three dead bodies, in a basement. She needed to get free of the remaining shackle and she needed to find Bruce.

…

Okay, thank you soooooooo much (that was a lot of o's) for the fantastic response that my last chapter got. Hopefully, this chapter was just as good. Let me know what's on your mind now!

Thanks again!


	18. Chapter 17

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 17

Selina wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground and rest. But her arm was still attached to the wall. The other chain had pulled out so easily, why wasn't this one coming loose?

She turned around and braced her legs on the wall. She was going to try and use her body weight as leverage. Selina kicked off her heels and started to climb. She was halfway up the wall but the damn chain still wasn't coming loose.

She felt like her arm was going to come out of its socket. Selina slumped against the wall, her bare feet on the cold cement floor.

That was when she heard the sirens. Predictably, it was because of the gunfire. Neither the Joker nor Harley had used a silencer on the guns when they'd fired them. Selina had wondered where all the hotel guests and employees were, well, all except Gia.

She turned towards the poor girl who was hanging limply just feet from her. She'd been through the ringer. Her face was bruised and scraped. She looked like she had burn marks on her arms. How had she gotten involved with Harley and the Joker? No matter what the reason, Selina knew she didn't have to die for it.

Selina didn't feel quite so bad for the two idiots on the floor.

Turning her attention back to the locked shackle on her right wrist, she tugged on it again. The cement wasn't budging. She was going to need to work on the lock itself. Tears began to stream down her face without warning. If she didn't get out of this herself, she was going to be held up by the police. She didn't have that kind of time…_Bruce_ didn't have that kind of time.

Holding the shackle still in her left hand, she pulled her fingers as close together as possible. Selina was willing her hand to shrink so it could fit through. She only had seconds. She tugged, hard, one last time and though she'd be paying for it shortly, her hand came through. Her already sore knuckles were bleeding, all of them, as she looked down at them. There wasn't any time for her to worry about her hand, though. She needed to be out of the basement before the cops started down there.

Using the discarded gun to break the window, she threw her shoes up first and then she struggled through the shattered glass and pulled herself up onto the ground. Luckily no one was on that particular side of the hotel yet. It was the garden side. It could be minutes before they came through the thick foliage and gardens.

As she pulled herself to her feet, Selina took stock of what she had. Her cat suit was in a box in the back of their closet. A wave of nausea washed through her as the thought that they might never be in that house together again pounded to the forefront of her brain.

She needed to get to the car. Bruce and she had left their phones in the vehicle for the party. After all, who was going to call them?

But creeping past all the cops was going to be difficult.

Or not so much.

The sirens were all going past the hotel.

Selina allowed herself a moment of confusion before approaching the car. Of course it was locked when she tried the door.

"Shit, of course it's locked," Selina said out loud as she tried the handle. She remembered Bruce putting the keys in his pocket.

Surely breaking into her own property would be a different experience.

It only took a mere second and it opened under touch. She was good at her job.

Hotwiring the car was her next task. She would take the main road out of Florence and hopefully she'd meet them at the airport before they left town.

… …

Bruce was coming to in the back of the van. It was dark back there; there were no windows. He was sore, incredibly sore. His arm throbbed at the injection site of whatever nasty toxin had been introduced to his system. He probably had tetanus now, too.

But it didn't matter; he was going to die, sooner or later. However, for the Joker's plan to work, providing it was the truth, he had to be alive for the public ridicule that he was being taken to in Gotham. Despite being Batman and saving the entire city, a lot of lives had been lost had been lost in the process. A lot of people would still hold a grudge about the Joker still being alive. A lot of people would be interested to know that Bruce Wayne was Batman.

He was still tied up, but he was lying on the ground of the van. For a minute he thought he was alone, but movement caught his eye.

"Who's there?" Bruce asked, finding his voice hoarse.

"Oh, it's just little ol' me, Mista Wayne," Harley said, sliding into his line of sight.

"Where's Selina? Did you bring her along?"

"Why would we need the pussycat?" Harley smiled evilly, running her gloved hand across Bruce's chest. "We don't need her. Ms. Kyle gave up. She decided that she didn't need you," Harley finished. "She's a little…_tied up…_deciding what to do without you first."

Bruce shook his heavy head. At first, it felt like everything was running in slow-motion at first. But slowly things were coming into focus.

"I don't believe that," Bruce said. He wasn't sure if it was his voice or Batman's. All the sound was muffled in his disoriented head.

"You _don't_ or _won't_?" Harley asked. "It's easy to cling to the idea that someone is out there trying to rescue you…" Harley trailed off. "But I think you're giving too much credit to a thief. You haven't known her as long as I have. She hasn't changed."

"Where is she really?"

Harley crossed her arms over her chest and huffed like a petulant child. Her painted face and mouth was twisted in a violent pout. She didn't like that she was being called out as a liar…even if she was one.

"Fine! Selina Kyle put up an okay fight, but I left her hanging, if ya get what I mean."

"No!" Bruce yelled.

"She _was_ alive when I left her, but she was left with a friend of ours," Harley laughed.

Bruce's throat constricted and his chest was tight. It didn't have anything to do with his bindings. He didn't know if Selina was alive or not and that doubt made him sick to his stomach.

There was a loud banging sound from behind him, like someone was pounding on the wall between the cab of the van and the cargo area. That's because someone was.

"Hey! Keep it quiet back there!" the Joker yelled.

"Yeah! Keep it quiet!" Harley said, administering a kick to Bruce's chest. It wasn't hard enough to break ribs, but it was enough to force all of the air out of his lungs. He breathed hard, trying to catch his breath.

Bruce hung his head. He didn't like feeling helpless. He was separated from Selina and couldn't protect her. He knew that she was tough; that was something he loved about her and he didn't doubt her strength for one second, but he didn't know what or who she was left with. And he didn't know if she'd sustained any injuries from her fight with Harley.

"Awww, Mista Wayne, don't be sad about the kitty," Harley smiled. "I'm sure she went quick. That guy was going to be pissed when he woke up; considering she'd kicked him in the nuts and brought the butt of the gun down on his skull. She was just going to get what was coming to her."

Suddenly, the van they were travelling in came to a stop. It caught Harley by surprise and she crashed into the wall next to Bruce and clattered to the ground.

"Ah, shit, Mista J!" she pounded at the wall dividing her from the Joker. "Do that again and I'll…"

The doors to the back of the van opened up and the Joker stood looking at the two of them.

"You'll _what_?" the Joker asked. But it wasn't a question. It was a dare.

Harley whipped around and smiled at the Joker. "Nothin'!" she said sweetly. "Are we at the airport, puddin'?"

"I need you to come out here," the Joker said in as calm of a voice as he could muster.

Bruce knew something was up.

Harley smiled like a lovesick puppy and vaulted out of the van and rolled into a somersault before standing at the Joker's side.

They took one last look at Bruce and the Joker closed the doors once more.

Bruce set to work on his bindings. It wasn't chains or rope. They were zip ties, strong enough to hold electrical cord bound together. But in reality the ties were just plastic. And there was always a way around plastic.

Outside, mere steps from the van, Harley realized that they weren't anywhere near an airport. There was nothing around them. They were in the middle of nowhere and the last bit of the sun was casting an orange glow on the horizon. There were miles of fields surrounding them; there were no villages or cars anywhere around them.

"What the hell is going on, Mr. J?" she asked. "We should be at that tiny little airport, rememba? This is the middle of nowhere."

"Of course I remember," the Joker hissed.

"I don't understand," Harley said.

"I should carve that in your forehead," he replied. "The van ran broke down," he said through gritted teeth.

"What about the other van?" Harley asked.

"They kept driving…without us."

"Those jerks!" Harley shouted.

The Joker didn't hesitate; he smacked her hard across the face.

Harley held her sore cheek in her gloved hand. "What was that for?" she spat.

"I felt like it," the Joker said simply.

"What do we do now?" Harley squeaked loudly. She was used to his temper, but that was one of the reasons she loved him. He was unpredictable and that always kept things lively. "And why did you pick such shitty vans?"

The Joker was pacing, flipping a switchblade open and closed. But at Harley's last statement he lunged for her.

He grabbed her by the upper arms and shook her.

"Can you just shut up for a second?!" he yelled. "I need to think."

"Hey, hey…puddin'…don't worry. Cars break down, it happens. It just so happens that I can go take a look under the hood. Where's the guy that was driving?" Harley said. Harley first put a hand on his arm and ran it down seductively. She then kissed him hard on his scarred mouth and momentarily silenced the man in the greasepaint.

She needed to be the one thinking clearly. The only way they were going to get out of this situation was if one of them was doing something to fix the broken-down vehicle. Harley would do anything for this man. Even work as a mechanic in the dark.

Harley walked around the front of the van and the driver was bleeding out in the front seat. He had a fatal knife wound to the chest. She wasn't terribly surprised at this outcome. He didn't make the van break down, but the Joker always needed someone to blame.

The man's breathing was labored as Harley pulled the door open. His strength was all gone and he crashed to the ground.

Harley stepped over him and climbed into the driver's seat. Turning the key in the ignition, she listened to the sound that the engine was making.

Bruce had been listening to the heated conversation. They weren't exactly quiet. He'd gotten few extra minutes to try and get himself free.

But van rumbled to life only moments later. Bruce groaned. That window of time he had to try to escape was gone.

He expected that Harley would join him again. But the van started to move again and he was the only person in the cargo area. That was a relief; it was going to allow him to work on the cable ties without interruption.

… …

Selina made it to the tiny airport just outside of Florence in record time. She thought she would at least see some kind of abandoned vehicles, but there was nothing and no one. Disappointment didn't even begin to cover what she was feeling.

She turned the car off and unbuckled her seatbelt. Has she already missed them or did she beat them here? Were they actually coming to this airport?

Selina needed help. But who could she turn to?

Bruce's suit jacket was still in the car. She pulled it around herself and shoved her arms through the sleeves. His cologne on it calmed her for a second, but then she remembered the situation.

Selina needed Bruce's cell phone. She realized that she only had one person she could call and hopefully the phone number had been put into the new phone. She started going through the pockets of his suit jacket, feeling for the phone. Her hand found something in the breast pocket, but it was too soft and too small to be a phone.

Pulling the square object out, she observed it. It was a small, dark blue velvet jewelry box.

Selina started to shake as she opened the tiny hinged box. A round cut diamond was set on a white gold band. It had to be three carats. She plucked it from the box and observed it.

Bruce was going to propose, eventually. She couldn't be sure that it was going to be today, but this was definitely an engagement ring. Selina slid it on her finger and sighed as she realized it fit perfectly.

A hard resolve was forming deep inside of her. She _was_ going to find Bruce. She needed to tell him that she was going to marry him.

Selina rifled through the different pockets and cubbies in the car. Eventually, she found the rogue piece of equipment and unlocked the pass code. She didn't need to try; he'd told her the password in case she needed it.

Finding the address book, the number she needed was first.

She pressed the button to dial the number and hoped that he'd pick up. He wouldn't recognize the phone number.

One ring.

She was starting to get nauseous.

Two rings.

If he didn't pick up she was going to throw up. Silent tears started to run down her face. She hadn't cried as much as she had today since she was nine years old.

Three rings…

"Hello?" an English accented voice picked up.

"Alfred?" Selina whispered into the phone.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Selina Kyle. Bruce is in trouble; I need your help. Are you still in Italy?"

… … … … …

Let me know what you all think! Thanks so much for sticking with me!


	19. Chapter 18

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 18

Selina Kyle was waiting. Waiting wasn't exactly her strong suit, either. She'd turned the diamond ring on her finger so many times that the skin was red and raw. But she didn't even notice; she was too anxious.

An hour had passed since she'd disconnected the call. She hadn't seen anyone until the two headlights blinded her. The car parked next to her. A distinguished man sat at the wheel, a worried expression on his face.

She immediately recognized him. It was Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's faithful caretaker and butler. And, really, Bruce's only friend for a long time.

Selina felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt as she put a hand to the pearls around her throat. Would he remember her? Would he be angry with her?

He exited from the car and stood before her. The guilt she was feeling turned to relief as his presence was oddly calming.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Pennyworth."

"Call me, Alfred. It's Miss Kyle, correct?"

"Selina."

A slight smile passed over the older man's lips.

"So, tell me what's happened," he said. "Don't leave anything out," he told her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

He surveyed the woman before him. It was dark, but he could tell she'd been put through the ringer. Her face was cut up and bruised; it was going to be very bad in the morning. And she had, what had to be Bruce's suit jacket, draped around her shoulders. He immediately recognized the string of pearls around her neck. They suited her.

Selina ran through the whole story of the day. She was afraid of shocking the older man, but his expression remained calm and sympathetic. He'd obviously been through enough with Bruce already.

"So they didn't say they were flying?"

"Well, I don't know. I just thought maybe they would fly because it's fastest," Selina said. "But you should never assume."

"Where were they headed that you thought they were flying?" Alfred asked.

"Gotham City."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"They're going to reveal him as Batman."

"Yes," Selina said quietly. "Harley said they were going to expose him as a liar and a coward that faked his death to escape Gotham. That he was nothing but empty promises for a city under siege. And then they would turn him over to the citizens of Gotham.

"But Bruce is strong; he survived that pit…"

"Pit?" Alfred asked.

"Whatever pit that Bruce was put in was the same one that Bane came from. And Talia," Selina said. "He was down there for almost seven months. Only two people have ever escaped. Bruce overcame a broken back to save Gotham; I can't let the Joker take him back there and make the city think he's a coward. He's anything but that," Selina finished.

"You love him," Alfred said.

"Yes," Selina said. "I do. Very much. And the Joker has very made me very angry. I need to protect him."

"Bruce hasn't had anyone to protect him in a very long time," Alfred replied.

"He's had you," Selina said.

Alfred hung his head. "I abandoned him," he said sadly.

"I'm sure you had your reasons," Selina said. "I led him to Bane. But now we owe him."

"We need to keep all the planes, commercial and private, grounded."

"All of the flights out of_ Europe_?" Selina asked.

"I think I know someone who can help us with that."

"Not the new guy, right?" Selina asked.

"Of course not," Alfred said, clearly offended that she would assume that. "I'm going to call Lucius Fox. You start finding all the private plane charters in the country."

"Do you think we can find them?"

"We have to. When I saw you both last week, Bruce Wayne looked happier than he has since his parents died. He needs to be happy; he deserves it. Do you have a computer?"

Selina nodded and walked to the backseat of the car. She put the suit jacket down and brought a tablet computer back to Alfred.

Alfred noticed the ring for the first time.

"You're engaged?" he asked.

"I found it in his jacket. I think he was going to propose," Selina said. "This was supposed to be our chance to start over. To make new lives for ourselves."

Alfred took her by the upper arms; effectively stilling and quieting her.

"Calm down, Selina," Alfred said. "I can tell that you're a strong woman. Bruce is lucky to have you. So we're going to get him back."

Selina stared, wide eyed, at the white-haired man who still had his hands grasping her. He seemed so sure that she was able to do this.

"Okay," Selina nodded. "Okay, let's do this."

… … … … …

The Joker continued to drive like a maniac. Bruce had worn down the plastic ties around his wrists and his hand were now free in the back of the van. But he figured that the vehicle had to be going about 110 miles an hour, give or take. It was a wonder that they hadn't been stopped yet, but maybe speed limits were more like guidelines in Italy.

If they didn't get to their destination, they were going to run out of gas soon, too.

Hundreds of escape plans ran through Bruce's brain as he worked on the ties that bound his legs. He knew he had no weapons, no fancy Batman gadgets, no tricks up his sleeves, so anything he did, could mean the end of him. But if he knew Selina, and he was pretty sure he did, she wasn't going to give up. So, he couldn't give up either.

Reaching forward, he started to work on the plastic ties on his ankles. If he could be free in the back of the van, when they stopped, he could use the element of surprise. And now that he was pretty sure it was just Harley and the Joker, he was sure he could at least put up a bit of a fight. There was no way in hell that he was going to go down without a fight.

… … … … …

Selina had called every number that she could get a hold of, but there were no private airplane charter companies that were giving her any decent information. She'd been explaining what she needed, _in perfect Italian_, and yet no one was saying anything.

"Did you get a hold of Fox?" Selina asked after turning the tablet off and walking back over to Alfred.

The man nodded.

"He's going to see about sending some kind of a message to the European airports, to keep the planes from taking off," Alfred said.

Selina was confused. How was that going to work?

"Mr. Fox guaranteed that it would work," Alfred said. "He didn't know how long it would keep the planes grounded, but he said it would buy us some time."

"I just can't imagine that the Joker would be flying commercial. Maybe he has his own plane somewhere?" Selina said. "Does Commissioner Gordon know he's escaped?"

"Yes, there's a massive manhunt going on in the states for him. But no one thought he'd be able to get out of the country," Alfred said.

"The Joker must have escaped while Bane was running Gotham," Selina said. "It wasn't a good time to be there."

"I can imagine," Alfred said. "We _have_ to succeed, Selina. Bruce needs us," Alfred finished.

Selina's cell phone started to ring and they both jumped at the shrill sound in the silent countryside.

She looked down at the display; she didn't recognize the number, but she picked up anyway.

"Hello?"

Selina listened to the frantic voice on the other end of the line. She kept nodding and soon a smile spread across her lips.

"Thank you!" she shouted happily as she disconnected.

"What's going on?" Alfred asked.

"Get in the car. I'll tell you on the way."

They both rushed to the rental car and climbed in. Selina started the car by hotwiring it again and the engine roared to life.

"Handy skill," Alfred noted.

"That's for sure," Selina said.

She brought the car out onto the road and started flooring the accelerator.

"It was the wife of a private pilot. A man in clown paint just stopped at their home. They're looking to buy a plane."

"And they didn't sell?"

"No. She said she told them it was a family plane and he didn't question it. She said that he just got back into the van. She told him that the neighbor's had a plane, too. It's about six miles down the road. Didn't even bother to kill anyone."

"How far are we from the original house?"

"Not far; not far at all," she smiled.

Bruce didn't know it, but Selina kept a gun in the trunk of the car; it was hidden in the space with the spare tire. She figured if they had a flat, she would be the one changing it anyway so the likelihood of him finding it was slim to none.

She could get there, shoot Harley and the Joker, and then rescue Bruce. And then they could live their happily ever after. She'd face the wrath about the gun and the shooting at a later time.

"Do you have a plan?" Alfred asked.

"Aside from shooting the first person that gets between Bruce and me? No. But I _do_ suggest you stay back out of the way when the bullets start to fly."

"The plane would be there, but no one is home. So no one from that house should get hurt."

"Bruce can fly a plane; do you know if the Joker or his lady friend can fly one?"

"I have no idea. I'm thinking that piloting a plane is out of their skill set, though."

… … … … …

"I can't believe they took the plane," Harley said. She was pouting in the passenger seat of the van, her arms folded across her chest.

"If I don't decide to off you tonight…let me be clear…that was the last time I'm letting you hire the henchmen," the Joker said angrily.

"You wouldn't kill me, puddin'. Who'd do that thing you like so much?" Harley asked, her voice getting louder and more manic and frenzied as she spoke. "That's right; no one! No other girl in this whole damn world would tolerate the bullshit you deal me every day, Mistah J. So while you're dishing out the threats an' insults an' abuse, just remember, no one else wants you either!" Harley screamed.

The Joker was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his hands were shaking and his knuckles were turning white.

"You have never learned when to shut the hell up," the Joker said, his voice oddly calm, considering the sweat running in streaks down his painted face.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" she screamed.

The Joker said nothing at all. He just continued to drive.

"That's what I thought! Nothin'! Ya know, I met someone while I was locked away. She's got bigger plans for chaos and disorder. And she's never been caught by Batman."

The Joker couldn't control himself. He reached out and slammed her face into the dashboard.

A trickle of blood was coming from her nose and her eyes were glazed over and unfocused as she gazed at him.

"'Atta boy," she said before passing out and slumping over in her seat.

"Now where is that house?" the Joker asked.

… … … … …

Selina and Alfred continued in on their own vehicle. They couldn't believe their luck. Selina was watching for any signs of a grey van, but saw none.

"Wait! Wait!" Alfred yelled.

"Did you see something?"

"Yes; someone is trying to flag us down."

Selina stopped the car and a man in faded jeans and a flannel shirt ran up to the window.

He said something quickly in Italian before rushing back to the house.

"Did you catch that?" Alfred asked.

"We don't have much time," Selina frowned. "But he did confirm that we're following the right guy, though."

"It just doesn't seem like the Joker would have left their way home to chance. Something in his plan must have fallen apart," Alfred said.

"However, he likes chaos and disorder. So he probably loves every minute of this. I just hope Bruce isn't suffering because of it," Selina said. "The man said it was just one van. And that there was a woman in the passenger seat and the crazy clown man was driving the van. So, they don't have their usual hoard of henchmen helping out."

Six miles wasn't a long distance and soon, a house was on the horizon. A barn was next to it and everything was farmland around it. It was probably a crop-dusting plane rather than an actual aircraft. It wouldn't be able to make it to France, let alone all the way to the States.

The van was abandoned out in front of the house, the driver's door left open.

Selina had left Alfred back at the car with the gun. She couldn't leave him unarmed.

She crept up on the van. Harley was slumped over in the passenger seat, her face a mess of blood, bruises, greasepaint and drool. It was a lovely picture.

Turning to look at the house, the front door lay ajar. There were crashing sounds coming from inside; the Joker was looking for something or someone. Talk about an unwelcome and uninvited houseguest. Selina hoped nobody really was home.

Bruce had to be in the back of the van still. She was going to risk waking Harley and go open the back of the van.

Silently she moved in the dirt driveway and put her hand on the handle. It clicked and she pulled the door towards her.

Suddenly, she was flat on her back; someone was on top of her and had knocked all of the air from her lungs. She struggled against their hold and kicked her attacker in the gut. He groaned, but threw his forearm up to her windpipe, closing her airway.

But realization struck. Bruce was looking down into the eyes of Selina Kyle.

He clutched her to him as they both reeled in pain from each other's attacks.

"How did you find me?" he asked as they finally caught their breaths.

"We don't have time to discuss that. We need to take down the Joker," Selina said.

"I'll go in after the Joker. You don't something with Harley," Bruce said.

Selina shook her head.

"They must have hit you too hard, Wayne. I'm taking the Joker. And he's going to die. No discussion," Selina said.

"How exactly do you think you're going to go about that? Weapons? Break his neck? We can just ship him back to the US and they can deal with him from there."

"Do you hear yourself? Who'll ship him back to the States? You and I? We can't go back. And then he'll still know we're alive. He'll always be after us."

"Awwww, look at the little reunion," Harley's slurring voice said.

Both of them were surprised as hell that she was there. How long had she been there?

"That's right, folks. Here I am. Ya see, Mista J thinks I'm just a nuisance. That I'm soft since being locked up, but I'm gonna kill her and make you watch. And then our plan'll continue. I'm kinda surprised my friend didn't kill ya in that basement, but you get whatcha pay for, I guess. I coulda had a second trophy."

"I'll get back in the van. Just let Selina go," Bruce said.

"What the hell are you doing?" Selina shouted.

But Selina knew exactly what Bruce was doing.

"Go save your own skin. I don't even know why you came here," Bruce said.

"Sure, take all the glory for yourself. Just like always, Bruce Wayne."

The two of them were circling Harley, but were focused on each other.

Harley's dizzy brain was only getting worse as she turned back and forth.

She stopped to focus on her feet for one second and Selina had kicked her feet and knocked her legs out from under her.

Harley landed on the ground with a loud thud. Her jester costume was definitely garbage at this point.

"Oooh, you knocked me on my butt. You'll have to do better than that, kitty cat."

Selina had it. She lunged at Harley and slammed her head on the ground. She forced her head into the ground once, twice, three times before Bruce was pulling Selina off of her.

"Enough, Selina," Bruce said, helping her up.

She could have been dead, but Selina didn't have time to make that assessment. The Joker was still inside, missing the fight outside. But he didn't miss it for long. He was exiting the home with a sword that had serrated edges that glinted in the bright moonlight.

He took one look at Selina standing over Harley and he finally snapped after the day's events.

He came running at Selina, sword out, but also producing a gun in his other hand.

"I'm a pretty decent aim. Either one of you moves, I'm shooting."

Selina and Bruce froze. It was just them and the Joker. He was outnumbered, but he made that up in weaponry.

He rounded on Selina and pulled the sword up to her throat. He put the gun in his suit jacket pocket.

"Hello, gorgeous," he whispered in her ear as his free hand explored the curves of her body. "You know, it's going to be a shame that I have to kill you. You are beautiful."

Bruce took an angry step forward, but froze.

"No, no, no, Bats. Any closer and I will slice through her with this. It's like a bread knife. It won't leave clean cuts; impossible to stitch up," he told them. "I shoulda figured you'd catch up. Tonight has gone deliciously awry, but it's not without its merits."

He moved himself and Selina closer to Harley on the ground and he kicked her in the side. In her unconsciousness, she groaned in pain.

"Can't even die right," the Joker hissed. "But you can show her. I'm thinking that dying can be something you're good at, Miss Kyle."

Some of the rusty metal pierced the flesh of her neck and blood began to pool on the sword.

"Did I ever tell you how I got my scars?" he smiled devilishly.

He didn't wait for a response.

"Ya see, I had a son. And he cried _all the time_. I mean, constantly. But he would stop crying if I made silly faces at him. So, one day, I thought if I could smile at him all the time, even when I was busy, he wouldn't cry any more. So I carved into my cheeks with a razor blade. Now, my neighbor found out and reported me to child protective services and they took my boy from me. I haven't seen him since."

The Joker was shaking with laughter. The sword bounced on the wound he'd already created and she bled more.

"Can you believe it? I try to do whatever I can to take care of my kid and they take him anyway?" he continued to laugh, then stopped abruptly. "He probably thinks I abandoned him. Like you did your little sister, right, Miss Kyle?"

"Don't you dare bring her into this," Selina spat.

"Your parents died. Correction, your mother killed herself to get away from you and your dad couldn't stand you enough so he drank himself to death. No one loves you, Miss Kyle, except this one over here and even he probably just wants you for sex. He's been tricked though. You know that, Brucey? She's a master manipulator."

The Joker wasn't even making sense anymore. The sword was still at Selina's throat, but he had loosened his grip.

Selina just wanted this to be over, so when the gun shot was fired, she was sure she was dying.

She had hit the ground hard and there was something heavy on top of her. The weight pushed all of the air out of her lungs again.

She could hear a couple of voices around her, but they were muffled. A shooting pain was radiating from her shoulder. She couldn't open her eyes. She was so tired. She hadn't even seen the Joker pull the gun out of his pocket. This was it. Hopefully Bruce was going to be all right.

… … … … …

"Is she going to wake up any time soon?"

"She needs to keep resting, Mr. Wayne."

"You said the bullet didn't hit anything vital. She should be awake now," Bruce said.

Selina could hear Bruce arguing with the doctor, but she was unable to speak.

"She's in a medically-induced coma so we can make sure she received the rest that she needs. The ligament in her shoulder was totally shredded and we repaired it, but it can't be moved. She should be able to regain full mobility if it's let heal properly. And you should be resting yourself, Mr. Wayne."

"Did she get a tetanus shot?" Bruce asked, ignoring the doctor's last statement. "Because…"

"Yes. Now, will you please lay back down in your own bed?"

Bruce nodded and he sat back on the hospital bed a couple feet away.

"Now, please tell me again how you've suffered so many injuries? You have almost no cartilage in your entire body."

"It's been a variety of activities. Rock climbing, spelunking, hang gliding, base jumping…"

"You're not a young man anymore, Mr. Wayne. Your ribs are going to take longer to heal. I suggest you avoid all of these things in the future," the doctor advised.

"For how long?" Bruce asked.

"Forever," the doctor replied curtly before exiting the room.

Bruce smirked. Apparently doctors in Italy were lacking a sense of humor about his health as well.

But he turned to look at Selina and the small smile fell from his lips.

They'd been in the hospital for three days. Bruce had been cleared to go, but he wasn't going anywhere without Selina. Her face had cuts and bruises in various stages. The sword wound on her throat had stitches in it. Her left shoulder was in an immobilizer.

They'd been in surgery on her shoulder for six hours.

Based on the amount of blood that she'd lost on the scene, he thought she was dead. The bullet had gone straight through the Joker and into Selina. The Joker had died instantly, Selina had fared better.

Bruce knew where the bullet had originated from. And he was intensely grateful to Alfred for still protecting him after this long. Now he was just waiting for Selina to wake up.

… … … … …

A/N: Okay, what did you think? What's on your mind?


	20. Chapter 19

Blood.

Sweat.

Tears.

Chapter 19

Selina was in a fog as she slowly opened her eyes. The lights were probably very dim, but to here they were bright, almost blinding, as she tried to hold her eyes open. But it was too much; she forced them closed again. How long had she been asleep?

Selina ached everywhere. She felt like she'd been run over with one of Bruce's Batmobiles or whatever he called them.

She forced her eyes open, despite the pain that it was causing her.

Bruce.

Where was Bruce?

Selina's shoulder screamed in absolute agony as she tried to sit up.

"Hey, hey, hey, lay still," a voice said. It was Bruce. He put his hands on her legs to still her movements. He waited until she calmed down before walking to the door. "She's awake!" he called out before returning to her side.

Selina let out a sigh of relief and felt the sharp stabs of pain as she exhaled. Bruce was okay. He was fine. He was _alive._

Bruce looked down at her laying the hospital bed. She was a tall, thin woman, but she looked terribly small the way she was now. Concern marred Bruce's handsome features as he looked her over.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concern coloring her own voice.

"This is the same woman who kicked the cane out of a cripple's hand without a second thought," Bruce laughed.

But Selina didn't join him in laughter.

"What's wrong?"

"What happened?" Selina said. She went to move her left arm, but realized it was completely immobilized.

"You took a bullet there," Bruce answered her, pointing at her shoulder.

There was a knock on the door and Alfred's white hair was visible first in the crack in the door, then his face.

"May I come in?" he asked.

Bruce looked at Selina for an answer.

"Of course," Selina said.

Alfred shuffled into the hospital room, a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Miss Kyle," Alfred said.

"I'm glad to be awake, too, Alfred," Selina said quietly.

"I do apologize for the injury, madam."

"_You _shot me?" Selina asked surprised. "I thought it was the Joker."

"The Joker is dead," Bruce said.

"The bullet, unfortunately, went through him into your shoulder," Alfred said quietly. "I tried…"

Alfred's voice cut off, full of emotion. Bruce clasped a hand on his oldest friend's back.

"Selina's alive because you took the shot," Bruce said.

Selina nodded. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Well, I'll let you two alone; I'll be outside should you need anything," Alfred said. "I really am happy that you're both all right," he said before exiting the room.

"What happens now?" Selina asked. "The Joker's really dead?"

Bruce smiled and nodded. "Now you heal, then do your physical therapy and work to get your shoulder in proper working order. They said that you should have full mobility if you do what you're supposed to."

"I'm not so good at doing what I'm supposed to," Selina said, finally laughing.

Bruce smiled and fished through his pockets.

"I believe that I have something that belongs to you."

He pulled Selina's engagement ring from his pocket and inspected it in the light above Selina's bed. Even though the lights were dim, it sparkled brilliantly.

Selina attempted to move her left arm again, but it wasn't going anywhere. Gingerly, Bruce took her hand in his own before sliding the ring on her finger.

"Well?" Selina asked expectantly.

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to ask me?" she asked.

"Ask you what?"

Despite all of the pain she was feeling, Selina rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Bruce?"

"You already put it on. That means you already said yes," Bruce pointed out. "I guess I did all right picking it out."

"You're _so_ funny, Bruce Wayne," Selina replied, no amusement in her voice.

"Okay, okay. Selina Kyle, I certainly never pictured proposing in a hospital, but I've learned that you have to be…adaptable. I don't want to lose you; when I thought you were dead…I'm pretty sure my own heart stopped. I don't know what else to say, Selina. I love you. Please marry me?" he finished.

Selina smiled.

"If it means that much to you," Selina said, teasing him.

"Selina," Bruce said, his Batman voice coming out, immediately warning her.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

Bruce leaned in to kiss her; careful not to bump her arm.

"So when do I get out of this place?"

… … … … …

_Six Months Later…_

"You have got to be quicker," Selina said.

She threw out a punch with her left arm and it landed squarely in her opponent's chest with a thud.

He was momentarily stunned, but not for long. He turned and kicked her legs out from under her.

"Yeah?" Bruce said, looking down at the woman who had just fallen to the ground.

Selina swept her own leg under the back of Bruce's good knee and brought him down next to her.

"Old man, you've got to be quicker," Selina said again.

"So, you want me to be quicker?" he asked.

"At least your hearing is working. And your sarcasm," Selina said. "I don't care that you're Batman, dude. You gotta keep up the workout regimen."

Without warning, he pinned her down a second later. "Well, Mrs. Wayne…"

"Cut out the rough housing! Lunch is ready!" Alfred called from the second-floor patio.

"Aw, do we have to?" Selina giggled.

"She started it," Bruce said before kissing her to keep her from protesting any further.

"Don't make me come down there," Alfred called before walking back inside the house.

Bruce looked down and smiled at the woman in his arms. "I guess we should go inside."

"I suppose so," Selina said.

Bruce took one last look down the length of Selina, his future wife. He'd been so close to losing her. But they were both safe again. Bruce stood quickly; his knee was working better than it had in ages. Reaching back down, he took Selina's hands in his own and pulled her up onto her feet.

Selina had been released from the hospital after a week. She'd hated every minute of it. And if that wasn't bad enough, she almost knocked her physical therapist unconscious during her first appointment. Four months of intense physical therapy later, Selina had full use of her left shoulder and arm again. And she was pleased about it; Bruce knew it killed her to ask for any help.

In the time since their run-in with the Joker and Harley Quinn, they'd moved Alfred into their home. He'd taken to the task well; he liked having Bruce back in his life and he also liked the way that he and Selina got on. She was the woman that Bruce had always needed in his life. And it appeared that Bruce was the man that she needed in her life.

It was heartwarming for Alfred to see the two of them together. It didn't matter what the two of them had done in the past, only their futures mattered.

"You two are a mess," Alfred said as they walked up the stairs onto the patio.

"I won," Bruce replied, pulling out a chair for Selina.

Selina took her seat. "That's what he thinks," she said.

Bruce took his seat next to Selina and Alfred finished laying the food out on the table. Before he took his own seat, he placed a newspaper next to Bruce.

"We started getting _The Daily Planet_ finally," Alfred said. "It's only going to cost about thirty six dollars an issue."

Bruce nodded. "Only thirty six? That's not so bad."

Selina snatched it out of his grasp quickly.

"Why _the Daily Planet?"_ she asked.

"Because if it's a big enough story from somewhere else, it'll make it into Metropolis' news," Bruce said.

Selina nodded and opened the paper, eyeing it's front page curiously.

"What is it?" Bruce asked.

"Superman saved another train from derailing and there was another breakout."

"Where?" Bruce asked.

"Chicago, again. The same place that Harley was locked up," Selina said.

"Who's gone now?"

"They just say it's a woman, tall with red hair," Selina read. "That isn't much of a description."

"Does it say if she was under maximum security?"

"No," Selina replied. "But it does say they suspect she's got an accomplice. And they have a few clues from her room as to what she might be after, but they aren't releasing that information to the press at this time."

"Well, it doesn't matter now," Alfred said. "Whoever this woman is, and whatever she's after, it's someone else's issue all together."

Bruce took a bite of his sandwich and nodded in agreement with Alfred.

"Right," Selina said, her brow furrowing. "Someone else's problem."

The End?

… … … … …

A/N: Okay, so what's on your mind now that I've typed the words 'the end'? It's something that, as a writer, I don't do as often as I should. The chapter kind of ends it, but do you want something else? Because I could do that. I just need to know what ya'll would like. Any and all suggestions, comments, critiques are welcome!

Thanks to everyone who has read this story. It's been a wonderful couple of months!

PS. If there's anyone out there who likes Captain America, I'm still bringing fic to an end, too. (Shameless self-plug.)

Thanks again!


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